Coral bean
Erythrina berteroana

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows 6-10 m high. The crown is open. The leaves have 3 leaflets. These are 15 cm long and broadly diamond shaped. The flower clusters are erect and 15-30 cm long with bright red flowers along them. The fruit are woody twisted pods. These are 10-25 cm long and constricted between the seeds. There are many seeds and they are about 1 cm long. They are red with a black line.

There are 112-125 Erythrina species. They are mostly in the tropics and subtropics.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. In Central America it grows between 800-2,000 m altitude.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Belize, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central America (country/location of origin), Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico (country/location of origin), Nicaragua, North America, Pacific, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, South America, Tanzania, USA, Venezuela, Virgin Islands, West Indies

How it is used for food

The young shoots, leaves and buds are eaten in salads, stews and other dishes. The flowers are cooked and eaten with meat, in stews and in egg dishes.

Edible parts

Leaves, shoots, buds, flowers, seeds

How it is grown

Plants can be grown by seeds or cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Amapola de Cerca, Brucal, Coralillo, Dwarf bucare, Machete, Machetico, Machetillos, Pipi, Pito, Pohon dadap pito

Synonyms

Erythrina berteriana; Erythrina neglecta Krukoff & Mold.;