About Embothrium coccineum J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
Embothrium coccineum J.R.Forst. & G.Forst., commonly known as the Chilean firetree, grows 4–15 m (13–50 ft) tall and can reach 50 cm (20 in) in trunk diameter. Its bark is dark grey with light spots, and its wood is light pink in colour. It produces clusters of deep red flowers, which are occasionally pale yellow, and it flowers in spring. Its fruit is a dry follicle that contains about 10 seeds. In its natural range, it is pollinated by both hummingbirds and insects. It is grown as an ornamental plant in Great Britain, the United States, and as far north as the Faroe Islands at 62° North latitude. This plant was introduced to Europe by William Lobb during his plant collecting expedition to the Valdivian temperate forests in 1845–1848. Kew Gardens described it by saying: "Perhaps no tree cultivated in the open air in the British Isles gives so striking and brilliant a display as this does." Its wood is very soft but durable, and it is used to make spoons, kitchen vessels, and other craft articles.
