Botanical atlas

Coral Tree

Erythrina lysistemon

Long before it was planted as an ornamental street tree, the coral tree held a sacred place in southern African life. Zulu tradition calls it umSinsi and often planted it near homesteads and graves, its blaze of red flowers on bare winter branches read as a sign that the ancestors were near. Healers in the region turned to the bark for a range of complaints, from wounds to toothache and joint pain, and the hard scarlet seeds, known as lucky beans, were strung into jewelry and carried as charms for protection and good fortune. That rich history sits alongside a real caution: the tree's alkaloids mean its traditional bark and seed preparations were the province of trained healers, not something to recreate at home.

Safety.

Erythrina lysistemon is not a plant to ingest at home. Its bright scarlet seeds and its bark contain erythrina alkaloids with curare-like, neuromuscular-blocking action, and chewing or swallowing broken seeds or bark preparations has caused serious poisoning, including muscle weakness and breathing difficulty, in both people and livestock. The whole, uncracked seed used in jewelry is generally considered low risk from casual handling, but it should still be kept away from small children and pets who might bite or crack it open, and any traditional bark or seed preparation belongs strictly in the hands of experienced healers, never attempted from a home kitchen. If ingestion of any part of this tree is suspected, treat it as a medical emergency and seek immediate care from a qualified health professional or poison control service.