Cockspur Coral Tree from seed

This past summer my family ventured to Galveston in early June and again at the end of July. On our first trip we had a picnic at Moody Gardens and walked around the grounds. I was very sad to see that the butterfly garden was barren, normally fully planted and bursting in color. One of the few living plants in this area was a Cockspur Coral Tree (Erythrina crista-galli), which was about 10' tall and in bloom. I'm guessing this tree blooms through much of the year, because it also had seed pods on it.

Cockspur Coral Tree (Erythrina crista-galli) in bloom at Moody Gardens, Galveston, Texas.

Cockspur Coral Tree (Erythrina crista-galli) in bloom at Moody Gardens, Galveston, Texas.

You know me, I swiped a seed pod, thinking maybe I would be able to germinate them. I planted the seeds a while later and most (maybe all) of the seeds germinated. I don't know this species very well and was a little surprised to find how prickly they are, even as little seedlings. See the photo below.

Cockspur Coral Tree (Erythrina crista-galli) seedlings.

I don't recommend growing trees in a hanging basket. This is just what I started the seeds in.

Prickles on Cockspur Coral Tree (Erythrina crista-galli) seedling.

On our return trip to Galveston in July I took one little 5" tall seedling with me. I planted this seedling in one of the spots vacated by the Natal Plums (Carissa macrocarpa). The Natal Plums died back to the ground over the winter, but were sprouting back from the roots. My mother-in-law suggested that we take this opportunity and just remove them since they were way oversized for the location where they had been planted and were covered in fierce thorns. I obliged her, digging up all of the plants and roots, and transferred one of these to a pot, where I plan to keep it trimmed (sort of a bonsai) and small.

potted Natal Plum (Carissa macrocarpa)

The Cockspur Coral Tree looks pretty pathetic in this location right now, but I put some barriers around it so that it won't be mowed down and I'm hoping that the Galveston climate will have this little tree growing towards the heavens in no time. The little Natal Plum does not look pathetic in it's pot on my front porch. It looks awesome! Let's just hope I can keep it small - the thorns on this plant are vicious!