Coral Bean

Erythrina herbacea

Also called Coralbean

Hills guide picknative · Central Texas

Coral Bean is a perennial native to Central Texas that grows 5 ft tall and 4 ft wide. It wants full sun or part shade and low water, and handles clay soil. Blooms red in Mar–Nov. Deer rarely browse it. Good for hummingbirds.

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From our guide

Village of the Hills

Upright perennial with three-lobed leaves and spikes of narrow scarlet tubular flowers, followed by red seeds.

Why it works here

Hummingbird plant with a bold tropical look that dies to the ground and returns every year.

Watch out

Seeds are toxic. Thorny stems. Late to emerge in spring — do not dig it up assuming it died.

The facts

6 sources

Type: Perennial
Sun: Full sun to part shade (3+ hrs)
Water: Low
Height: 5 ft
Spread: 4 ft
Bloom: Mar–Nov · red
Foliage: Deciduous
Soil: Takes clay · recorded on clay, dry, loam, sand, well drained
Deer: High — deer rarely browse it. Toxic seeds and foliage; left alone.
Wildlife: Supports hummingbirds

Size, sun, water and foliage from the Village of the Hills guide; the rest resolved across sources.

Where it grows

Recorded in these EPA Level IV ecoregions in the Austin and Hill Country launch area:

Southern Post Oak SavannaFloodplains and Low TerracesSan Antonio Prairie

95 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).

Can you buy it?

In the Village of the Hills guide, but not on the grower stock lists we read yet. Ask a native-plant nursery.

also grows from seed It starts readily from seed, so a packet from a native-seed supplier, or seed collected with permission, is often the easiest way to get a plant no nursery pots.