Life

Is coral bean toxic?

Is coral bean toxic?

Erythrina herbacea: Part Edible, Part Not. The (eastern) Coral Bean is one of those damned if you do, and damned if you don’t kind of species. Parts of it are edible, parts of it are toxic, narcotic and hallucinogenic. So there is a trade off: Very easy to identify, but harvest carefully.

How big does a coral bean plant get?

8–10 feet tall
How to Grow Coral Bean

Botanical Name Erythrina herbacea
Plant Type Perennial, shrub
Mature Size 8–10 feet tall
Sun Exposure Full, partial
Soil Type Sandy, well-drained

What does coral bean look like?

Coralbean is a low, glossy-leaved, thorny shrub to 6 ft. with many herbaceous, annual stems arising from the woody lower stem and perennial root. The long-petioled, leaflets are distinctively arrowhead-shaped. Leaves are alternate, scattered along the stem, 3 leaflets forming the leaf, which is often prickly beneath.

What is a Mamou tree?

Erythrina herbacea, commonly known as the coral bean, Cherokee bean, Mamou plant in South Louisiana, red cardinal or cardinal spear, is a flowering shrub or small tree found throughout the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico; it has also been reported from parts of Central America and, as an introduced …

How do you propagate Cherokee beans?

It has thorns, but they are rather small. The seeds of Cherokee bean are poisonous and purportedly used for rat poison in Mexico. Propagation: Scratching the seeds, or rubbing them with a slight abrasive, prior to planting in the spring is recommended–wear gloves to avoid the poison from these seeds.

How do you plant Mamou seeds?

Plant the seeds in 6-inch plastic or hard rubber pots in any planting mixture except strongly acid peat moss mixtures. Keep plantings moist in a shaded or semi-shaded area. Seeds planted in mid-summer will germinate in mid-fall. When they are 6 to 8 inches high plant the seedlings in the ground.

How do you plant a coral seed?

How to Germinate Coral Vine Seeds

  1. Select a location for your coral vine plant where it will receive partial sun.
  2. Water the soil in your chosen location or container so it is moist but not saturated.
  3. Place the coral vine seeds in the moistened soil so they are barely covered by the soil.