One of the most impressive perennials we grow is the giant Bidwill’s coral bean, Erythrina x bidwillii. This amazing plant is a hybrid between the North American native coral bean and its South American counterpart. It starts flowering for us in late spring, and continues unabated until just before frost. Be sure you have plenty of room since it can reach 10′ in width. We’ve grown this since the mid 1980s, so its seen 0 degrees F temperatures with no problem, although it is very late to resprout in spring.
Moving to Charlotte,mc and need to start a new garden. Would this be a candidate. Did you mention, full sun?
It would be great in Charlotte. Yes, full sun.
How does it hold up in zone 8b heat? (Columbia, SC)
It loves heat and humidity…even as far as South Texas.
Hello, not sure you’ll see this on so old a post. I’m interested in learning how best to propagate Erythrina x bidwillii. Young, about pencil-width growth seems either to rot or dry up before anything might root. Do you propagate them from older wood or (as I’ve read somewhere for E. crista-galli) from cuttings in water? I bought three from you years ago, by the way, and they’ve done excellently in 7b SE Virginia! Your nursery has allowed me to give my parents an increasingly spectacular yard!
Cutting taking June-August root well.