Erythrina herbacea
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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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | Scratching the seeds, or rubbing them with a slight abrasive, prior to planting in the spring is recommended--wear gloves to avoid the poison from these seeds. Semi-hardwood cuttings can be rooted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Native nurseries, FNPS plant sales, Seed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Very long very dry periods | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | High. Can tolerate significant and ongoing amounts of salty wind and salt spray without injury. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil or other substrate: | Loam, Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | 5.4 to 7.6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
Attracts hummingbirds. Due to its dense foliage and thorny stems, coral bean serves as a refuge for small birds and animals. | |
| Insects: | Attracts long-tongued pollinators. | |
| 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. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 11 8A 8B 9A 9B
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
| Ethnobotany: | The women of the Creek tribe used cold infusion of the root for bowel pain. The Mikasuki Seminole used decoction of roots or berries used for horse sickness: nausea, constipation and blocked urination. |