Erythrina variegata Seeds | Coral Tree
LATIN NAME: Erythrina variegata
COMMON NAME: Coral Tree
Plant Profile
Erythrina variegata is the coral tree of tropical shores, and it is grown for a flowering that comes when the tree is bare. The flowers are a brilliant scarlet, in dense racemes at the ends of the branches, and they open in spring before the new leaves. The leaves are trifoliate, and the trunk is often spiny on young trees, with a grey, fissured bark on old ones.
The species grows along the coasts of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific, from East Africa to Polynesia, often within reach of salt spray. It reaches fifteen metres with a spreading, open crown, and it is planted in villages, in temple grounds and along roads. The wood is light and soft, used for floats and for carvings.
Science & Biotechnology
The genus contains erythrina alkaloids, which have a curare-like action and are toxic. The seed is the most dangerous part, and it has been used as a fish poison and as a medicine in small doses. The alkaloids are being studied for their effects on the nervous system, but the plant is not a safe home remedy.
The tree is also a legume and fixes nitrogen, and it is used as a shade tree for coffee and for cacao. It is vulnerable to the erythrina gall wasp, Quadrastichus erythrinae, a small insect that arrived in Hawaii in 2005 and spread across the tropics, causing leaf distortion and killing trees. The wasp has become a serious problem for the genus in ornamental plantings.
Uses & Benefits
The tree is grown as an ornamental for the scarlet flowers, and it is used as a shade tree in plantations and as a living fence. The wood is used for floats, for surfboards in old Hawaii, for carvings and for fuel, and the bark is used for cordage.
In Ayurveda the bark and the leaf are used for skin complaints and for rheumatism, and the seed, in carefully controlled doses, as a purgative. The tree is sacred in some Polynesian cultures, and it is planted at temples and at burial sites. The flowers are also eaten in some districts after cooking.
Growing from Seed
Seed needs scarification. Nick the coat or soak it in hot water for a day, then sow at 25 to 30 degrees; germination is in two to four weeks. Cuttings of thick stems root readily and are the usual way to propagate a selected form.
The tree wants full sun, sharp drainage and a frost-free site, and it tolerates salt spray and poor soil. It is tender below about zero, and it is brittle, so plant it away from buildings. Prune it after flowering to keep a compact crown, and watch for the gall wasp, which distorts the leaves and can kill a young tree.
Our Take
A scarlet-flowered coastal tree with a toxic seed and a serious insect problem, best grown for the flowers and the shade.
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