Cardinal Spear, Redcardinal
Erythrina herbacea
Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
What it is like
Erythrina herbacea is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
Sandy soils in hummocks, the coastal plain and pinelands.
South-eastern N. America - North Carolina to Texas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Flowers - cooked. An acceptable vegetable when boiled. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Young leaves - occasionally cooked and eaten.
Medicine
Rating: 1
The plant is narcotic and purgative. A cold infusion of the root has been used to treat bowel pain in women. A decoction of the roots or berries has been used to treat nausea, constipation and blocked urination. A decoction of the 'beans' or inner bark has been used as a body rub and steam for numb, painful limbs and joints. A decoction of the leaves has been used as a general tonic.
Antiemetic: Prevents vomiting.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Narcotic: Relieves pain, induces drowsiness and gives a sense of well-being.
Purgative: A drastic laxative causing a cleansing or watery evacuation of the bowels, usually with a griping pain.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating:
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
How it is grown
Requires a moderately fertile well-drained soil in a very sunny position. Best if given the protection of an east, south or south-west facing wall. Becoming a tree in the south of its range, this species is shrubby or even herbaceous towards the limits of its northerly range. It is not very hardy outdoors in Britain though the rootstock can tolerate temperatures down to about -10°c provided the stem bases are thickly mulched with organic matter such as leaf litter or sawdust and covered with bracken. Alternatively, the roots can be lifted in the autumn and stored in a cool frost-free place, replanting in the spring. Plants take 3 - 4 years to flower from seed. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.
Propagating it: Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Overwinter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer. Heeled cuttings of young growth in the spring in a frame. Overwinter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 7-10
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
The plant contains alkaloids that have powerful narcotic and purgative effects. The seeds contain numerous toxic alkaloids, including erysodine and erysopine. They have an action similar to curare and have been used as a rat poison.
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
E. arborea. Small.