From the generous red flowering when it still has no leaves
Still the tropics with one species, the erythrin of the coast, which among the Fabaceae has chosen the colors of the flowers and seeds and the shape of the leaves to confirm the multiform vocation of the family. Erythrina caffra Thumb. Fabaceae family
The lucky bean tree. Erythrine of the coast. Zone 9-11. Medium-large deciduous tree that reaches 9-12 meters (29-32ft) in height: it lives in the forests that border the streams along the eastern coasts of South Africa. Trifoliate leaves reaching up to 8-18 meters (26-59ft) with scarlet orange flowers on the plant before the leaves, organized in racemes up to 10 cm (3.93") long. The fruit is a dark-colored siliqua up to 7 cm (2.75") long. It propagates by seed or by cutting. The nectar of the flowers attracts the birds.
Africans do not burn the wood fearing that this could attract lightning: Light and spongy wood used to build canoes and floats for fishing nets. The seeds are used for necklaces (the lucky bean) due to the bright red color.
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