Chilean Fire Tree: a hot idea for your garden
Few trees can match the flower spectacular of the Chilean fire tree, Embothrium coccineum. Late spring warmth lights the flame that turns the entire tree neon red. No one can ignore this breathtaking display, and most ask "What is that?" Many also ask where they can get one, and we have lots of these rare trees.
The fire tree is stiffly upright, semi-evergreen (ours, anyway) to about 50 feet tall. Its short branches often turn upward and give the tree a very narrow habit, ideal for small gardens. Its bright green leaves are also very narrow. The flowers resemble honeysuckle, tubular, nearly two inches long. In a good year, they erupt from nearly every inch of the tree, even along the trunk. Hummingbirds are ecstatic.
Fire trees grow naturally on poor, sandy soils. In cultivation, they want good drainage and sun, though partial shade will do. They must not be fertilized with anything containing phosphorous (the second number in a complete fertilizer) and seldom need anything anyway. Once established, they need no water. Coming from Chile, the fire tree naturally wants a mild climate, not too hot or cold. Zones 8-10 on the west coast are ideal, and probably the cooler-summer parts of the coastal southeast.
Fire trees are nearly impossible to find, but we have plenty of them in #1 size, for $20.00 each.
