Erythrina herbacea
(Coralbean)
Erythrina herbacea, Goose Island State Park, Aransas Co. 5051
Erythrina herbacea, Goose Island State Park, Aransas Co. 5044
Erythrina herbacea, Goose Island State Park, Aransas Co. 5056
| Scientific Name | Erythrina herbacea | USDA PLANTS Symbol | ERHE4 |
| Common Name | Coralbean, Eastern Coralbean, Redcardinal | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 26678 |
| Family | Fabaceae (Pea) | SEINet Reference |
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| Description | Habitat: Well-drained sand, loam or clay soils in open, sandy woods and clearings. Plant: Erect shrub with bright red flowers, perennial with stems dying back in cold weather; rigid, ascending, thorny stems 2 to 6+ ft tall often growing up through adjacent shrubs. Leaves: Alternate, trifoliate leaves; leaflets are hastate to deltoid, 3 to 5 inches long and 3-1/2 to 4 inches wide, often prickly beneath, and on long petioles. Inflorescence: Upright spikes (racemes) up to 12 inches long at the stem tips with showy, tubular flowers; the scarlet-red flowers have and 5 united sepals and a corolla with 5 petals, the upper petal wrapped around the other 4, making a long tube 1-1/2 to 2 inches long with interior obscured. Fruit: Black-ish pod 3 to 8 inches long containing several bright red beans. Bloom Period: April to June. References: "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston and Wildflower Center. |
BONAP Distribution Map Map Color Key |
Texas Status: Native |
Banner photo of Castilleja indivisa and Lupinus ssp. taken along FM 1323 north of Johnson City, Blanco County
© Tom Lebsack 2024