Erythrina caffra flower

Erythrina caffra, the coastal coral tree, is a medium to large deciduous tree growing a spreading crown, reaching heights from 9 m to 18 m (SA Tree List No. 245).

The bark is pale grey and coarse with sharp spines which may be scattered on branches young and old. The leaves are trifoliolate as is common for the genus. Flowers appear in dense racemes, the petal colouring scarlet, orange or occasionally cream. The nectar attracts sunbirds.

The species distribution is coastal in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, also found in Swaziland and Mozambique.

The habitat is riverine and coastal forest. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley, 1993; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).