“Fireman’s Cap” Coral Bean (Erythrina x bidwillii)
This is one of those plants that literally stopped me in traffic the first time I saw it. Many years ago I was driving down Bee Cave’s Rd here in Austin, Texas and just as I was passing by Barton Springs Nursery I did my usual “sneak a peek”. As I drove I noticed an enormous plant with humongous red flower spikes. Now, I swear I am usually a decent driver, but I nearly crashed my car spinning into the parking lot to see what the heck this plant was.
Firemans Cap Coral Bean 8 x 10, full to part sun blooms from spring to fall, then goes dormant in winter.
Fireman’s Cap is a deer resistant, drought tolerant, deciduous perennial. It is a super fast grower once established and is an amazing specimen in the Xeriscape garden. With 2 ft long blood-red flower spikes and long tubular petals, it is also a huge hummingbird attraction. I cannot tell you the compliments I have gotten on this plant and how few people have ever seen one. It is striking in every way as it has really awesome bright green spaded leaves. Additionally, with each passing season the trunk becomes gnarled and twisted which becomes yet another interesting feature of this plant.
Spectacular flower spikes makes this plant a phenomenal specimen in the landscape.
When using the color red be sure to balance the color with complimentary tones in various places so it doesn’t take over the rest of the landscape. Opposing colors always create drama and in this case, it is green which is pretty easy to find. That being said, spread the red throughout the space so that this plant is an attention hog. Plants like tropical Sage, Furmans Red Salvia Greggi and Texas Betony are great choices for balance.
Fireman’s Cap / Helmet Coral Bean-Full Sun
One of my favorite plants to use in full sun gardens for obvious reasons. It’s a perfect perennial plant for hardiness zones 8-11 and reaches to 8 x 10’ in Austin and as large as a tree in the southern, coastal region.
Obviously, I am a huge fan of this plant, but if you are not convinced yet, or would just like to see it in action, check out my awesome video display!
Now go get your garden on!
Lisa LaPaso
Lisa’s Landscape & Design (“like” me on facebook!)
“Saving the Planet One Yard at a Time”
Check my other videos on YouTube!
- Posted in: Central Texas Gardens ♦ Eco Friendly ♦ Education ♦ Gardening ♦ Landscape and Design ♦ Native and Adapted Plants ♦ Native Plants ♦ Perennial plants ♦ Water Wise ♦ Xeriscape ♦ Xeriscape design austin
- Tagged: Central Austin, Drought tolerant landscape, Erythrina x bidwillii, flowering perennials for Austin Texas, landscape designer austin, low water perennials, red flowers, sun plants austin, Xeriscape designer austin, Xeriscape plants austin
is it too late in the year to try and plant this? If so, when would be the right time to get it in the ground. You are right, it is a beauty.
Jennifer, if you are here in Austin, drop by Barton Springs Nursery on Bee Caves Rd. asap (they are there now & lovely) and get it in the ground. Be sure to give it extra attention and water daily as needed for the first couple of weeks, then deeply once or twice a week during the Summer and this plant will do beautifully for you. If you do not have time to nurture it as I have suggested, wait until the Fall to plant.
ok, thanks Lisa! I work right around the corner from the nursery so I’ll be hitting them up asap!
Good, I was just there and they look amazing! Tell them LL&D sent you!
Have you ever had the leaves scald on this plant? Mine is 1.5 yrs old and gets full afternoon/evening sun, and a good portion of the leaves cooked when we jumped into the 100-108 temps last week. Still blooming, though. Thanks!
Amy, last week was brutal and there was little acclimation time. The Fireman’s Cap is a sun to part shade plant and may suffer in a full late afternoon sun situation, but mine is about 7 years old in the same conditions and have not seen the same damage. Though many of my other perennials showed signs of significant stress so early in the season.
Thanks! Glad to know it’s a survivor (it’ll just look a little rough this year…although there has been new growth/blooms since that first brutal week of full summer).
Well I noticed that the sudden change in temps assaulted some of my otherwise hardy plants as well and I believe that the lack of acclimation played a part in that. They are hardy, and they are glorious and it will be just fine in time.
Hi Lisa,
I’ve been following you on FB lately and absolutely love ure garden and am impressed with your awesome variety of drought tolerant TX native plants! I am also now inclined to cut down the lawn area and go xeriscaping. I love gardening too, it makes me feel relaxed and happy! I’m absolutely gonna get this plant and the Datura moonflowers! I like the way uve turned this fireman’s cap plant into a tree, wud luv to get that look someday. Does it take years to get that look? And when the tree dies down every winter, will it regain itself in a tree form or back to the original shrub form?
Happy gardening!
Hi Swapna, it does not hold up so well over a cold Winter, but because it is such an easy plant to trim, it is easy to get back into shape. In late Winter, early Spring months you choose 3 or 5 of the largest upright branches, treat them as the tree trunk and remove everything that grows below a certain height. The main part is clearing and keeping clear of all the low growing stems during this process. As the season continues, you will continue to remove any soft stems that return below your canopy line throughout the season, it will eventually slow the production below the canopy and the main production will be on top.
Very interesting article, however the E Bidville is only half TX native. The other half is from Argentina. By way of Australia. Where it was bred.j
I did not know that . Thanks for the education 🙂
Is this tree safe in yards with dogs?
This plant is toxic which makes it a great deer resistant plant ,but not for dogs or children that may put it in their mouth.