Oooh Renee --
That looks really nasty. They look great lining San Vicente Boulevard -- I had no idea this could happen to them. Obviously, Santa Anas can be very tough on erythrinas. I'm guessing that poor thing is entirely doomed, yes? Or would it be possible to save part of what's left? It's a shame to lose such a large specimen -- for any reason.

Kay

San Vicente! I kept thinking it was Olympic. There is another spectacular double row of them at UC Irvine near the history department. They have been properly pruned and burst forth with orange-red glory once a year.

Thank goodness, it is entirely doomed, and on my recommendation it will be ground out. I spoke to the neighbors today and recommended some trees that will fit into that tiny front yard- some that will not require a twice-annual pruning. They will be looking at crape myrtles. They also like birch trees. Everyone but me likes birch trees. I'm sick of birch trees! I must admit, though, a birch tree would look very pretty next to the light khaki-green color they have chosen for their house.

The tree trimmer came by and said he is removing a 60 foot pine from the second-story roof of another neighbor tomorrow. No one was injured. He said he is already booked for the next two weeks. It was very windy here.

Renee

It's all about scale of planting, isn't it? That coral tree probably dwarfed everything around it. Here in Pasadena, the problem is mature deodars, planted in the 1920s when the houses were built. Now they're humungous, and when the winds come everyone prays that if they fall, they fall AWAY from the house. Doesn't always work that way.

Aren't birches relatively short-lived here in Southern California, at least compared with crape myrtles? In the interest of promoting the lagerstroemias (which I love), you might also point out not only their lovely flowers but also their striking fall color. Moreover, if your neighbors ever want to repaint their home white or ivory, the trunk/s of their birch tree/s will completely disappear.

Kay

Oh my! I'm glad no one was injured, though sorry about your fence. I don't think we had more than a light breeze here; only the slight warm-up in temps.

There were those Coral trees on the property when we bought it. I had them all cut down. My neighbor has some that she has carefully pruned every year, and she still has had massive branches fall in windy weather. The wood is very, very heavy and weak. Bad combination for a windy climate.

There is one Coral your neighbor might want, because it is far smaller than the large tree version, a patio-tree sized version, and the flowers are stunning, way better than the tree. Erythrina x bidwillii.

Here is a link that might be useful: Erythrina x bidwillii flower photos

The Coral tree shouldn't get all the blame here... It looks like it was getting lawn irrigation which encourages fast weak growth, the multiple trunks are a known case of creating a weaker crotch subject to wind damage, and aan overly large growing weak woods tree species was planted in a location not really appropriate for the size and nature of the tree. I'd second the plug for E. x bidwillii, but in my experience here in the SF Bay Area it is more a shrub than a tree. I also find species such as E. coraloides slower growing and less dangerous specimens which I've used locally. I also find the idea of European white birch trees inappropriate for most California conditions; almost always subject to constant aphid and borer infestations and looking rather pathetic unless very well watered.

I had a few things come crashing down here in my garden with our northern California version of Santa Ana winds here, but it was just smaller light weight limbs from tree dahlias and Iochromas. Not heavy enough to do any damage in the garden, but still a surprise to have to clean up afterwards. I'm glad our local Diablo winds aren't particularly fearsome, as we'd have a lot more downed trees here if they were.

it is Olympic hose. May be San Vicnete as well (the Santa Monica one).

That must have been one of the big coral trees like E.cafra or was it a E.falcata? or ?