About Erythrina lysistemon Hutch.
Common coral tree (Erythrina lysistemon Hutch.) grows 30 to 40 ft (9.1 to 12.2 m) tall. It has smooth, grayish, non-corky bark, with hooked prickles scattered across its trunk and branches. Its leaves have 3 leaflets and grow up to 7 in (18 cm) long; the leaf petiole and midrib are also prickly. This tree remains leafless for up to 4 or 5 months each year. Its attractive scarlet red flowers grow in dense racemes in spring, before new leaves emerge, and draw numerous birds and insects to gardens. It is hardy to USDA Zone 9b.
