We had a lovely Embothrium coccineum for about 15 years. Last year we had our Chilean Fire Bush removed and the stump ground after the wind blew over the tree. That was a great loss because we loved the tree. Now I have six new starts of Chilean Fire Bush ranging in size from one to three feet, which I assume are growing off a live root. I’d like to transplant them to more appropriate places in my yard, but the buyer at a local nursery advised against moving them. What can you advise me about transplanting? Is fall even the right time of year to move them? How deep can I expect the roots to go?
The people at the nursery may be thinking of Embothrium’s reputation for resenting transplanting. According to Graham Stuart Thomas’s book, Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers, and Bamboos (Timber Press, 1992), Embothrium coccineum seldom thrives when transplanted. However, I think he is talking about the difficulty of transplanting a mature tree, not a small seedling. Simon Toomer’s Trees for the Small Garden (Timber Press, 2005) confirms this: “It has a reputation for being difficult to transplant when large and so container-grown plants of moderate size should be used.”
Local gardening expert Ciscoe Morris has said of Embothrium: “Only buy it if it’s a small seedling. They hate pots and if they are pot-bound for very long, won’t survive transplanting. Plant Embothrium in a sunny location in acid very well-drained soil. Never fertilize these trees as phosphorus is known to kill them.”
Since you have several starts, why not try transplanting at least one or two of them to an ideal spot in your garden. Try to get as much root system as you can when digging them up, and if more than one start comes up, don’t try to cut them apart if it means you will lose any roots. Now is probably a good time to attempt this, and there is not too much risk in trying.