Silviculture Establishment Erythrina variegata is successfully propagated from seed or large stem cuttings. Treated seeds normally germinate within 8 to 10 days. Well-watered seedlings are normally ready for planting at 10 weeks. Woody cuttings establish best under dry conditions. They should always be held for at least 24 hours before planting to prevent attack by soil fungi.
Cuttings establish quickly, producing axillary shoots in three to four weeks and then rooting.
To produce tall trees with straight stems, it is important to retain the terminal bud of branch cuttings. The column shaped form, 'Tropic Coral', may not reproduce true to form from seed and should thus be propagated from cuttings. Managemen t. Erythrina variegata generally requires little maintenance. Once established, seedlings grow rapidly, usually to 3 m in one year. This species is a host to the fruit piercing moth Othreis fullonia , a destructive insect pest in the Pacific region.