Family: Fabaceae
Origin, Description & Uses
Erythrina corallodendron, commonly known as coral bean tree, is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree in the pea family (Fabaceae) native to the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Leeward and Windward Islands. It is prized for its ornamental beauty, producing showy clusters of bright red, tubular flowers that attract birds and other pollinators. The tree typically has thorny branches and trifoliate leaves, and like other Erythrina species, it thrives in warm, sunny environments. It is often planted as a landscape ornamental, shade tree, or living fence, and its striking seeds are sometimes used for decorative purposes.
Risks & Threats
Although Erythrina corallodendron is not currently known to be naturalized in Hawaiʻi, it does possess traits that are cause for concern. Species in the Erythrina genus are often fast-growing, easily propagated from cuttings, and capable of producing viable seeds that may be spread by water or human activity. Some relatives have become invasive in tropical regions, suggesting the potential for similar behavior under suitable conditions. In addition, the seeds and other plant parts contain toxic compounds, which may pose risks to people, pets, and livestock if ingested. Further evaluation is needed to determine whether this species could establish, spread, and negatively impact Hawaiʻi’s ecosystems.
High Risk Traits:
- Congeneric weed
- Spiny tree.
- Hybridizes naturally.
- Requires bird pollinators.
- Widely planted as an ornamental.
- Seeds used for necklaces (human dispersal).
- Seeds dispersed by water and birds.
- Forms a persistent seed bank (hard-seeded).
- Tolerates heavy pruning (used for living fences).
Low Risk Traits:
- No evidence of naturalization.
- Not documented as a weed.
- Narrow environmental range (native to dry lowland woodlands).
- Not a fire hazard.
- No vegetative spread.
- Low seed production (not prolific).
