About Erythrina americana Mill.
Erythrina americana Mill. is a tree that grows 4 to 5 meters tall. It has pale brown, smooth bark, and a spreading, profusely branched crown. It sheds its leaves during winter and the dry season. Branches bear spines, and the trunk has conical, flat spines. Leaves are arranged alternately, and are trifoliate with rhombic-ovate leaflets that are 7 to 22 centimeters long and broad. The flowers of this tree are edible. Children often use the flowers as small makeshift knives to playfully stab each other. Ground seeds and bark from the tree are used as poison. In many Mexican states, the tree is used to make traditional crafts, specifically traditional dance masks, and it is also used for fence posts in many parts of Veracruz, Mexico. This is a beautiful, hardy tree, and some varieties even tolerate frost. Tall varieties of this plant are rarely grown as garden plants, while dwarf varieties are commonly used as garden plants. Dwarf varieties tolerate frost and heat, originate from dry areas, flower early, and attract hummingbirds.
