NOTE: In this article, Coral bean and Erythrina herbacea may be used interchangeably; in fact, Erythrina herbacea is the botanical name for Coral bean.
The Erythrina herbacea coral bean shrub is easy to grow, grows at a moderate rate, and requires little attention once established. It is attractive and has a lot of interest. The coral bean has beautiful tubular flowers. During the summer and into the fall, the flowers turn into longpods with red seeds inside.
The foliage of the coral bean is glossy dark green. The trunk and branches are covered in thorns. The tubular flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds and should only be planted in the Pacific Northwest or the American South. The best time to plant it is in the spring.
Why does my Erythrina herbacea roots have rot?
Root rot on your Coral bean (Erythrina herbacea) can be fatal if not treated with care. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you follow our guide to keep your plant alive if the symptoms occur: Root soft and blackened.
Why does my Coral bean have gray mold spots?
Gray mold spots are a type of fungus that is found a lot in flowers, and spreads quite rapidly. If you notice brown (or gray) spots, it is probably this fungus. Don’t ignore these symptoms, as they may end up killing your plant.
Our Solution
The solution is quite logical when you know the cause of the problem. Most of the time, it is due to overwater of the Erythrina herbacea. We advise you to remove the infected parts of the plant, cut off the infected roots and leaves, then repot your plant using sterile potting soil and a clean pot.
Why does my Coral bean have leaf spots?
If your plants exhibit symptoms like rapid color changes in the leaves or leaves that wilt or droop, we give you all the information you need to recognize them and rescue your plants. For owners of Coral bean, this kind of illness is among the most distressing.
Why are my Coral bean leaves turning yellow?
In the world of horticulture, yellowing leaves are undoubtedly the most common problem. The two main causes of this problem are overwatering and a lack of nutrition.
When it’s overwatering, simply reduce your watering frequency, and if you think it’s a nutrient deficiency, here’s how to check it:
Here are some indicators of yellowing on the Erythrina herbacea brought on by its numerous flaws:
- Yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves are the first sign of magnesium shortage. Veins continue to be green while the leaf’s core turns yellow. The leaf’s edges yellow last.
- Iron deficiency also shows as yellowing between leaf veins, but it hits young leaves on plant tops and branch tips first.
- Sulfur shortage first affects the youngest leaves, turning them entirely yellow.
- Potassium deficiency shows itself when leaf edges turn bright yellow, but the inner leaf stays green. Older leaves show symptoms first, and leaf edges soon turn brown.
- A lack of nitrogen is indicated by a widespread yellowing. Older, inner leaves are the first to yellow. As the yellowing progresses, it eventually touches young leaves as well.
Our Solution
You only need to act in accordance with the symptoms listed above. You can address a potassium or nitrogen deficiency by buying a particular soil, and a gardening store consultant will be able to advise you on how to do that. Furthermore, you can also limit how frequently you water your plants.
Is my Coral bean sunburned?
It is quite easy to find out if your Coral bean (Erythrina herbacea) has been burned by the sun. Just like on us, your plant will change color in this case, it will start to turn yellow or white.
The leaves of your Coral bean can also change color in case it gets too much water or not enough light, as we saw above.
The bottom of the yellow leaves with a shaded area closer to the base can be examined to determine if they have been sunburned. If this part remains greener, the yellow leaf is most likely sunburned and not something else.
Why are my Coral bean leaves turning brown?
The classic sign that a plant has been overexposed to direct sunlight and sunburned is the development of browning leaves. Rest assured that while this may probably save your plant from dying, it will adversely affect its growth.
Should I leave my Erythrina herbacea in direct sunlight?
No! If your Erythrina herbacea (or Coral bean) has the symptoms described above, don’t leave it in direct sunlight, that’s the reason why your Coral bean is in such a state!
Our Solution
As stated in the paragraph above, the cure is straightforward: simply position your plant’s Coral bean so that it is out of direct sunlight. With proper watering and this method, your plant should quickly come back to life.
Why are my Erythrina herbacea leaves drooping or wilting ?
When you become dehydrated, this usually happens. Large plants are more vulnerable since they need more water on a regular basis than smaller plants.
Whether your Erythrina herbacea plant’s pot appears light, the soil and roots are likely fairly dry and need water, so you can readily tell if it needs to be hydrated.
Our Solution
In order to ensure that the roots of your plant receive the water’s benefits, you must first moisten the soil in the container if it is absolutely dry. One common error is to immediately drown the Coral bean after a dry period in the belief that it requires a lot of water.
This is true, but the easiest way to end it is to give too much water at once. Instead, you should water the soil properly, returning to a peaceful watering rhythm.
Caring Tips for Erythrina herbacea
Water Occasionally
Water is essential to the survival of your plant, however, it is important to balance the rate of watering. As we explained above, overwatering could have fatal consequences for your Erythrina herbacea.
The best way to know if your plant needs water or not is to touch the soil, if you feel it is still wet, it is probably a good idea to wait a few more days.
Always keep temperatures stable
It’s also a good idea to keep your Erythrina herbacea at a constant temperature, especially if it’s kept indoors. In general, at GreenShack, we suggest booking a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, keep your Erythrina herbacea away from radiators, air conditioners, and other sources of hot or cold air.
Keep your Coral bean Dust-Free
This one concerns indoor plants, just like on your furniture, dust is also deposited on the leaves of your indoor plants, the problem is that it can prevent them from receiving the necessary light, this would slow down (or even stop) the photosynthesis process, and eventually, they would lose their colors.
This would be a true journey into hell for your Coral bean and would also satisfy the pests.
To remove the dust from the leaves of your plant, take a microfiber cloth and gently rub the leaves. You can wet the cloth to make it easier to remove the dust, but never use corrosive products (such as rubbing alcohol!)
Keep drainage in mind
If you have a tendency to overwater, you should be mindful of your drainage, and if they don’t already have them, we suggest selecting a saucer and a pot with drainage holes.
In the meantime, if you don’t have holes in your pots, you can add volcanic rocks (or any rocks with holes) at the bottom of your pot, this way it will create a channel so that the water doesn’t stay in your skin too much (to avoid that roots start to rot!)
