Check with Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh. They have a website with a lot of interesting plant offerings. It is possible that you can grow the hardiest types: Erythrina herbacea, E. crista-galli and their hybrid, E. x bidwillii. If they survive in your area, they will probably die to the ground each winter and resprout from the base each spring. You should get the showy flowers but the plants might never become a tree.

Welcome to NC, and to Garden Web.

I'm not sure where in NC you are, but Erythrina herbacea is native to the SE NC coast, and will grow in most of Zone 8 as a Perennial, but not get as big as it does in the tropics.

Take care with kids & pets, as it is pretty toxic.

Thank you...

I live in Havelock. Does the Erythrina Herbacea grow in the forests here? In that you both appear knowledgeable, do you know what the vines with yellow flowers are that grow in the forest here?

I am interrested in Crista Galli but herbacea looks like it is just as pretty. I had read that they will die back, but I wasn't sure if we get too cold here.
Thank you for "Plant Delights Nursery". This made my hunt much easer!

Thanks.

That vine may be Carolina Jessamine. Is it blooming now?