Re: Sabor tree?

Dan McKean wrote:
> 
> on 2/3/00 8:42 PM, Nan Sterman at nsterman@mindsovermatter.com wrote:
> 
> > My folks just returned from South America and my mother was taken by a
> > red-flowered tree that she thinks is called "sabor" or "sabol."  Anyone
> > familiar with this tree and know its botanical name?
> 
> It's a ceibo tree--the national tree of Argentina.   When I was in South
> America in November, it was in full bloom, a big 20m tall tree with a broad
> round crown covered in red flowers.  A common English name would be coral
> tree.  A picture of the tree can be seen at
> http://www.marmot.net/danm/adv/cl99/img/99-50-14.jpg.  The ceibo trees are
> the two trees in the background.  This picture is from November 14, 1999.
> 
> The ceibo is planted widely in central Chile, such as in Santiago.  I was
> surprised to see such an unknown tree planted in such a similar climate,
> especially as I recognized most of the other street and park trees such as
> jacaranda and liquidambar and the various sycamores (London planetrees).
> 
> Of course, once I got back to California, I wondered why I hadn't seen the
> ceibo tree here.  Turns out I had--the species name is Erythrina
> crista-galli, and it grows here mostly as a shrub or really small tree.  I
> wonder why it doesn't get to towering tree height like it does in South
> America--anyone got any clues?

This species is  vey popular in NZ, but in the cooler areas at least it
struggles with a climate which is borderline in temperature and it has a
long dormant period over winter so doesn't ever put on a lot of growth.
Most people cut it back hard while dormant ensuring it remains quite low
and shrubby.
> 
> One idea of mine about why the ceibo doesn't grow that large here is that
> trees don't grow as large in California as they do in Chile.  In general, I
> found the same tree species growing in Chile to be much more narrow and tall
> than the same species growing in California.  Notable trees in this regard
> were Pinus radiata (Monterey Pine), Maytenus boaria (mayten), and Schinus
> molle (pepper tree).  You can see the very tall radiata pines in the back of
> the picture  at the link above.

I guess one cannot always pinpoint the reason for these differences
easily though in some cases the annual temperature range seems to be the
chief factor. It certainly is with Schinus molle, which is quite stunted
around Wellington, but grows larger further north. I am sure, though
that soil type and other less obvious factors often play apart. Another
tree in this category is the Australian Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta)
Around this area it rarely grows much above three metres high, but in
its native Australia it can get ten times as tall.

The case of Pinus radiata and the Monteray cedar (Cupressus macrocarpa)
is one of the odder ones. As I understand it the growth rate of these
two species is higher in NZ than anywere else, P radiata plantations
being even sometimes harvested at 30 years old or less. Old trees will
easily attain 100ft, some are known that have topped 125ft. 
I haven't seen a real explanation of what causes the enhanced growth
rate, but I don't think it can be soil, as many of the best commercial
plantations are on what was awful scrub/pumic country in the central
North Island and they are planted without any added fertilizer
whatsoever (All they get is the breakdown of the uncleared debris from
the previous harvesting). The planters work at great speed. A slit is
simply cut in the ground with a spade and the tree is dropped in and
stamped to firm it. How they survive at all is a mystery, but they
actually do get very few misses and the young trees take off almost
immediately.

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
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