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Coralbean

Erythrina herbacea

Photo by joanbstanley
Published on Project Noah
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28.9587, -81.3638

Field Notes

Description:

Coral bean is deciduous and has interesting compound leaves made up of three leaflets that are uniquely shaped with pointed tips and a bulge in the middle. In late spring and early summer showy scarlet blossoms appear. These long flattened tubes are about 2 in (5.1 cm) long by approximately 1/8 in (0.3 cm) in diameter. They are arranged in clusters at the stem tips and appear custom designed for hummingbird beaks. Flowers are followed by large pods that split open to reveal bright red seeds in late summer and fall.

Habitat:

Shady location in understory at Hontoon Island State Park.

Notes:

Cherokee bean is a showy semi-herbaceous member of the bean (Leguminosae/Fabaceae) family. Within most of its range coralbean, as it is also commonly called, produces herbaceous stems from a woody base that are typically about 3 ft (0.9 m) in height but sometimes more. In areas that experience freezes the stems are killed back in winter but in frostfree areas the plant will form woody stems and may grow to 16 ft (5 m) in height.

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