Texas Wildbuds
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 2025
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