Erythrina herbacea

coralbean, Cherokee bean

Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

shrub

Size:

3-20 ft tall by 2-10 ft wide

Life Span:

long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

pink,red

Fruit Color:

red,brown

Phenology:

Deciduous, semi-evergreen in South Florida. Blooms in spring. Fruits remain on the plant through winter.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Thorns

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Forming a thicket for wildlife protection.

Considerations:

It has thorns, but they are rather small.



The seeds of Cherokee bean are poisonous and purportedly used for rat poison in Mexico.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Usually moist, occasional inundation ---- to ---- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salt.

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B,11

Ecology

Wildlife:

Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Birds, Mammals

Attracts long-tongued pollinators.

Attracts hummingbirds.





Due to its dense foliage and thorny stems, coral bean serves as a refuge for small birds and animals.

Native Habitats:

Dry sites. Upland mixed forest, thickets, tropical hammocks, coastal dunes, sandhill, flatwoods, tropical hammock, pine rocklands. This species can be seen in the picnic area at Alderman Ford County Park in Hillsborough County.