Erythrina caffra - Coral Tree

The Coral Tree is a medium sized deciduous (Semi-evergreen) tree growing in a rounded spreading habit to 30-35' tall and wide. Typically looses its foliage mid winter. Damaged by cold weather. 

Leaves are alternate, trifoliate, each leaflet dark green, rhomboid to ovate shaped, with a somewhat elongated tip. The base can be more flattened resulting in a deltoid shape. Leaflets 2-5" long, laterals smaller that the terminal. Prickles (sometimes called thorns) along the mid vein.

Stems are stout, green when young, and usually covered with shape prickles, usually dark colored. Leaves can be clustered at the tips appearing whorled.

Flowers are beautiful and very tropical looking. They are orange - scarlet red, 2" long, about 1" wide and borne in a 1' long panicle.

Fruit is a pod with constrictions between the bright red seeds. I have not seen them set fruit here, these pictures were taken in SLO.

Older stems and bark is pretty cool. Often multi stemmed, light tan color with shallow ridges.

A variegated species, seen in warm climates only.

Misidentification:
Could be E. crus-galli the cockspur coral tree, but they have narrow trifoliate leaves. You can see one of these at city hall or in the Salvia garden at Cabrillo.

Location:
Santa Cruz
Floral Park  - Pleasure Point - 3 trees
3020 Pleasure Point Dr.
115 Toledo - very large specimen

Fraxinus uhdei - Evergreen Ash

The largest of the Ash trees in our area, the mostly evergreen ash grows 80 feet tall and 60 feet wide with large upright and arching primary scaffold branches and if lining a street would cover it like an American Elm. Also called the Shamel Ash. This one is on the corner of Walnut and Cedar.

Leaves are evergreen or deciduous in colder climates, oppositely arranged, pinnately compound 6-8" long with 7 or 9 leaflets, each 3-4" long, narrowly ovate or lanceolate, with serrated margins.

Plants dioecious or monoecious, usually separate. Small, green, only obvious because they are different color green than the leaves.

Fruit is a straight samara, 1-2" long, maturing light tan. Produced in abundance on female trees if a male is in the area.

Bark smooth and green when young, remaining smooth and only slightly fissured with age. Leaf scars are pretty interesting and can be used to identify some ash trees.

Buds on ash trees all look alike, mostly copper but sometimes black. Short and fatter than tall. Clustered at the tips.

Misidentification:

Fraxinus pensylvanica, the green ash. My good friend told me you can tell the difference in winter if they still have leaves, not much help eh?

Location:
Capitola
216 Oakland Ave. intersection with Escalona. Not sure if that's the real number, was a church and was converted to a house.

44th and Capitola Rd. in the parking lot, huge tree, almost always with fruit.

Santa Cruz
Center St and Walnut at the corner of the parking garage.