I did a little research trying to find references to Erythrina uses, and find that the Encylopedia of Psychoactive plants has this to say about Erythrina americana: When describing the ritual uses of Erythrina americana, a tree known to the Aztecs as tzompantli ("skull frame"), Rätsch indicates that, in pre-Columbian Mexico, its narcotic seeds may have been administered to Aztec sacrificial victims before they were disemboweled and butchered. He also cites historic records collected by Victor Reko indicating that the red seeds were sometimes consumed in colonial Mexico as an intoxicant because they produced "immoderate gaiety, then confused speech, wobbling as if drunk, and a heightened libido." The drawback was that, as Reko states, "The intoxicated person then fell into a deep sleep, from which they usually did not reawaken." "Skull frame"? Wow! Maybe there is a reason for its presence along the Calzada de los Muertos!

I read that it's pollinated by hummingbirds, and sometimes by small insects. I have no hummingbirds..drat! I got the seeds in a trade years ago, and it has taken it a long, long time to bloom...years, in fact. I have one in sun and one in shade, and the shade one has only had one bloom ever. To start the seeds, you need to nick them, and then soak overnight before planting. It took mine a long time to come up. I wonder if I could pollinate them with a q-tip. Worth a try. I'll try it and let you know what happens. I saw one huge one on the road to Crowley's nursery once full of beans, but they were green, so I didn't get any. For those of you who know that road, it was right next to that tree by the dumpsters.

I dunno, doesn't sound good! Haven't grown that one, but had one of it's parents, E. herbacea, for many years. Unlike x bidwillii, it was fertile and I would find seedlings all over the back yard. I never removed them, but they never grew into mature shrubs and would disappear after a few years. An absentee owner next door, after repeated warnings from the HOA, hired some day workers to clean up his property, without telling them where the property line was. They cut my shrub down and it never returned. A combination of drought and the past winter temperatures colder than we have experienced in several years, may have been too much for your plant. I lost several old, established plants/shrubs and had tremendous dieback on a huge number of shrubs and trees.

Barbra, are you lower (higher?) on the zone scale than I am, like maybe 9b instead of 9a? I yank mine back a little every so often, but it's pretty easy. Got it from someone who got rid of all of hers fairly soon after she gave me a piece because she had a limited space she wanted it in. Mine has a little more room. Comes out easily, and does freeze pretty easily. It had started back into growth but I'd bet it's down now. It is very tropical-looking and I kinda like it, but I have mixed feelings about it. Takes really heavy shade. That's certainly a plus. Come to think of it, I should plant it at the top of the coulee out back where the bank is slipping down and where it's really shady. It'd probably hold the bank.