My mom and I were biking around the Lake and noticed this plant beside a construction site. It was clear that it would not remain for long at its current location, so we moved some of it to our yard. This was around ten years ago, and here is the result:
Coral bean is a native plant that can add interest to the landscape from spring until fall. Looks like Cape Fear is its most northern reach. It's definitely a coastal plant. While it's not fussy, there are two things important to know about this plant: it's prickly and toxic.
The good news: red tubular flowers grow on tall stalks in the spring, drawing hummingbirds and butterflies.
In the fall, as the rest of the summer garden starts to fade, coral bean's seed pods begin to mature and the show begins. What once looked a bit like English pea pods turn dark, almost black, and split open to reveal shiny, scarlet red seeds nestled inside. They're very pretty—and (here's the bad news) very poisonous, so be sure to keep them away from kids and pets.
Although its use in gardens is not particularly common, it is popular among those who do grow it as a source of early season color, for its hardiness (USDA Zones 7-10), and because it attracts hummingbirds.
Native American people had many medicinal uses for this plant, varying between nations and localities. Creek women used an infusion of the root for bowel pain; the Choctaw used a decoction of the leaves as a general tonic; the Seminole used an extract of the roots for digestive problems, and extracts of the seeds, or of the inner bark, as an external rub for rheumatic disorders.
In Mexico, the seeds are used as a rat poison, while a fish poison is made from the bark and leaves.
In some Central American countries the flowers are used in traditional cuisine. Mostly added to bean soup or meat patties, it is known for its mild narcotic properties.
We managed to plant it in just the right conditions: an out-of-the-way place that gets shade in the summer. Not the easiest plant to grow because of the thorns and toxicity, but a lovely treat to the eyes in June when it seems to pop up from nowhere with these gorgeous red tubular flowers that look custom-made for hummingbirds.
Here's more about coral bean from Dave's Garden: Is a Coral Bean Right for Your Garden?
The good news: red tubular flowers grow on tall stalks in the spring, drawing hummingbirds and butterflies.
Although its use in gardens is not particularly common, it is popular among those who do grow it as a source of early season color, for its hardiness (USDA Zones 7-10), and because it attracts hummingbirds.
Native American people had many medicinal uses for this plant, varying between nations and localities. Creek women used an infusion of the root for bowel pain; the Choctaw used a decoction of the leaves as a general tonic; the Seminole used an extract of the roots for digestive problems, and extracts of the seeds, or of the inner bark, as an external rub for rheumatic disorders.
In Mexico, the seeds are used as a rat poison, while a fish poison is made from the bark and leaves.
In some Central American countries the flowers are used in traditional cuisine. Mostly added to bean soup or meat patties, it is known for its mild narcotic properties.
We managed to plant it in just the right conditions: an out-of-the-way place that gets shade in the summer. Not the easiest plant to grow because of the thorns and toxicity, but a lovely treat to the eyes in June when it seems to pop up from nowhere with these gorgeous red tubular flowers that look custom-made for hummingbirds.
Here's more about coral bean from Dave's Garden: Is a Coral Bean Right for Your Garden?
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