Coral Tree & Southern Double Collared Sunbird. 

A signed, limited edition Fine Art Print from an original watercolour painting.

Coral Trees (Erythrina lysistemon) are common across southern Africa and in August and September they explode into flower – their bright red and scarlet blossoms provide a flash of colour in an otherwise drab late winter landscape. The trees provide food and shelter for a variety of birds, animals and insects. Many species of sunbirds feed on the nectar, vervet monkeys eat the flower buds while kudu, klipspringer, black rhino and baboons graze on the leaves. Elephants eat the bark, bush pigs eat the roots and brown-headed parrots eat and disperse the seeds. Birds such as barbets and woodpeckers nest in the trunks of dead trees and swarms of bees often inhabit hollow trunks.

Erythrina lysistemon is also widely used and enjoyed by mankind. The flowering of the trees is a good signal to rural people that it is time to plant their crops. They have been regarded as royal trees and were planted on the graves of Zulu chiefs. They were planted as living fences around kraals, homesteads and waterholes and were one of the first wild trees to be planted in gardens in South Africa. They are still to be found in suburban gardens and are planted as street trees in many towns.

In this painting, a male Southern Double Collared Sunbird in his breeding plumage sits amongst the flowers.

Signed Limited Edition Print on 300 GSM Fine Art Cotton Paper.

Size: 560mm x 760mm

The print is delivered rolled into a tube, ready for framing. Worldwide courier delivery is included in the price. If you would prefer to receive the print stretched and ready to hang, please e-mail us at macbred@icloud.com for a revised shipping quote.