Erythrina crista-galli - Cockspur Coral Tree

The Cockspur Coral Tree is a small deciduous tree with an umbrella shaped canopy reaching 15-20' in Santa Cruz, but you may find them smaller than that. The most obvious one in town is at city hall. Not a great specimen, was not sure why, but I looked at google street view history and the space was dominated by a Hollywood Juniper and this tree was being crowded out. When in full bloom it looks pretty nice. Waiting for the fall color… supposed to be yellow….

Leaves are deciduous, alternate, trifoliate, leaflets narrowly elliptical 3-5" long, margins slightly less than smooth, and spines on the lower portion of the main veins. Distinct swollen area at the base of the petiole, the pulvinus.

Flowers in the spring occasionally in summer and into fall, fragrant, showy bright red or pinkish-red, in long drooping panicles. Individual flowers are "pea-like" with a distinct elongated lower petal shaped like the keel of a boat. This is taken in December, winter here, but you can see the elongated lower petal. Looks like thrip damage maybe.

These are the flowers about to open.

Fruit is a brown pod, with constrictions between the seeds. Ripening in the fall. This is summer. You can see the constrictions.

Interesting seeds if you take the time to look at them.

Stems are green, stout, with nasty prickles. You can even see the tell tale pulvinus on the petiole of the leaf.

Bark is usually attractive, potentially deeply furrowed.

Tree is also known as the Coral Tree, Crybabytree, Christ's Tears.

Misidentification:
Erythrina caffra, around here anyway, if you are in a more tropical area you are likely to become very confused. These have narrower elliptical leaflets and are smaller trees.

Location:
Aptos
Cabrillo College Hort Department has one in back garden area, its low growing.

Santa Cruz
City Hall along Center St.

114 Myrtle St.

Cantua buxifolia 'Hot Lips' - Sacred Flower of the Andes

The Sacred Flower of the Andes is a beautiful but not commonly planted small tree or large shrub growing to 10' tall with a vase or spreading habit. They have a stiff branching pattern with an occasional long branch heading off in some random direction. This cultivar has larger flowers. 

Leaves are evergreen, simple, alternate, oval shaped to obovate, 1" long, appearing to be in clusters, where the lateral bud breaks but only produces a few leaves.

Flowers are very attractive, 3" long trumpet shaped, borne in large clusters of a dozen or so. These were blooming in January…..

Misidentification:
Can't think of anything. My guess is that lots of Cantua specimens are not 'Hot Lips', as the corolla is supposed to be orangish. Leaves are boxwood like, Buxus sempervirens.


Location:
Santa Cruz
San Lorenzo Garden Center

Pittosporum crassifolium - Karo

The Karo tree is not commonly planted any longer, but I do like the silver/gray foliage in a landscape. May be mistaken for a large shrub but grows to about 15' with a spreading habit, usually multi-stemmed (okay a large multi-stemmed shrub). Reportedly a weed in California though planted and see so little here I doubt it will be an issue.

Leaves are evergreen, simple, alternate, oblanceolate to obovate, 2-3" long, leathery, a bit on the thicker side compared to other pittosporums, white hairs on the lower surface margins entire but revolute, may be gray-green or green. The name comes from the resemblance to a Crassula.

These leaves are more green than gray.

Beautiful flowers in the spring, 1/2"diameter, dark red to purple, in clusters of 6-10, each on a long peduncle.

The fruit are capsules, about the size of a nickel, covered with the same white hairs as the stems and leaves, opening to show an orange inner layer with black seeds.

Stems are also covered with the white hairs. Buds clustered at the tips.

Misidentification: Not sure, foliage is a key

Locations:
Santa Cruz
322 Maple St on the Washington St side of the house.

Prunus campanulata - Taiwan Cherry Tree

The Bell-Flowered or Taiwan Cherry tree is a beautiful site in late winter to early spring. I recall seeing this one out of the corner of my eye and quickly circling around on my bike to see what the heck was so red in late winter. They are small deciduous flowering trees with beautiful deep red colored flowers growing to about 15' tall and slightly narrower with spreading branches. Not commonly seen. Blooms really really early, with very dark red flowers.

Same plant in the fall (have not seen any others), no fall color showing up by November though they should have some red color.

Leaves are deciduous, alternate, simple, 2-4" long, narrowly ovate to oval-lanceolate shaped, finely serrated margins, with a gland at the base of the leaf blade and dark green in summer. Deeply set veins.

Buds are clustered at the tips, sharp pointed, reddish in color.

Stems are smooth with lots of horizontal lenticles. This plant was grafted so the main trunk is something else.

Emerging just prior to or with the leaves, the 3/4" diameter flowers are in clusters of 2-6. You can see some of last years leaves and the new ones just emerging.

Produces small red fruit, 1/2" long. I have not seen them.

The popular 'Okame' Cherry has P. campanulata as one of the parents.

Misidentification:

Foliage looks like any Japanese cherry, but smaller. I am basing my identification on the flower color, leaf shape and the tree was in full bloom in February.

Location:

Aptos:

411 Townsend

Acca sellowiana - Pineapple Guava

The Pineapple Guava is a commonly planted small evergreen tree or shrub, planted as a screen or as an accent tree showing off the beautiful flowers or the edible fruit. Grows to about 15-20' by 8-10' wide, and usually multi-stemmed. You are more likely to see it being used as a hedge or screen.

Evergreen leaves are alternate, simple, oval to elliptical shaped, 1 - 2" long, dark green upper surface, white lower surface. The white undersides and stems make the plant look blue green from a distance.

Flowers appear in early spring, usually singly, with four fleshy petals that are white on the outside and pink on the inside, about 3/4".  The red showy bits are long bright red stamens. Flowers are edible.

The edible fruit (a berry) is oval shaped, bluish green, 2" long, with a whitish fleshy pulp. Strongly fragrant and very tasty. Strawberry to pineapple flavors.

Trees can produce huge amounts of fruit, and many times most of it ends up on the ground.

Young stems covered with white hairs.

Bark is tan, stems never really develop a wide girth.

For those using the plant for fruit production there are lots of cultivated varieties available.  Can't say I have ever noticed the cultivars being sold in local nurseries.

Feijoa is the old name.

Misidentification:
Not sure,

Location:
Everywhere,

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

Lagerstroemia - Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia, commonly known as Crape myrtles, are small deciduous multi-seasonal  trees with beautiful flowers, fall color and bark. There are two species,  several hybrids and lots of cultivars. We generally see one of three colors, white, lavender and dark red. There are so many and I will not even start to guess which is which. Maybe some day I'll sort them out. So for now, they are all crape myrtles.

Foliage is deciduous, simple, opposite to subopposite, 1-1/2" to 3" long, ovate to elliptical, entire margins, often folded up on itself forming a V shape. Variable as I am including hybrids of at least two species under this generic listing. New leaves of some varieties show a reddish cast.

Flowers are pretty interesting to look at closely. The sepals form a 5 sided ball through which the petals come out with a long skinny stalk along with the stamens and single stigma.

Flowers are arranged in large 1' long panicles with tons of individual 1" flowers. Whites, reds, pinks, and lavenders are commonly seen. Blooms on new wood.

Fruit are small capsules about 3/8" diameter, brown.

Bark is beautiful, especially wet. Bark is the real selling point for me, but they do provide winter, summer and fall interest.

Fall color is about as good as it gets here in SC.

Misidentification:

bark? if you happen to see a Stewartia

Location:
Soquel
Corner of Soquel Drive and Potter

Santa Cruz
17th Ave is a great spot to see many older trees
1592 Seabright Avenue

Scotts Valley
Mt Hermen Shopping centers, the movie theater side.