Click on image for full screen view.
| Coral Bean, Eastern Coral Bean, Cardinal Spear, Cherokee Bean, Red Cardinal-flower, Corolillo, Patol, Pitos, Colorin, Chilicote, Zampantle Erythrina herbacea Fabaceae (Leguminosae) Coral bean blooms from May to June, before the leaves appear, with glowing dark red waxy flowers on spikes that can be up to one foot long. Later, thin dark pods about 8 inches long open to expose brilliant red (and poisonous) seeds inside. Its trunk and branches have stout, curved thorns, and the heart-shaped leaves are glossy green. Coral bean is very cold tender, and above 28 degrees F. it will die back to the roots like a perennial, but will return in the spring, often reaching 3 to 5 feet in a season. The roots are hardy as far north as Dallas. In the Rio Grande Valley it loses its leaves but does not die back and can grow to be a small tree ranging from 6 to 25 feet high. It grows along the U.S. southeast coastal plains and in East Texas in sandy open woods, but can adapt to clay and other soils. A good choice for hot, sunny sites, coral bean is moderately drought tolerant once established, and grows best in well-drained soil. Hummingbirds are attracted to the red, showy flowers.
Plant Habit or Use: medium shrub
Exposure: sun Flower Color: red Blooming Period: spring Fruit Characteristics: dark pod enclosing red seeds Height: 6 to 25 feet Width: 5 to 20 feet Plant Character: deciduous Heat Tolerance: high Water Requirements:
Soil Requirements: neutral Additional Comments:
|
| Index of Scientific Names | Index of Common Names | Photo Gallery Index |