Erythrina crista-galli

The cockspur coral tree is a tree in the pea or Fabaceae family and is native to Argentina, Uruguay, southern Brazil and Paraguay. It is a small tree, normally growing 5–8 m tall. It is widely planted as a street or garden tree in other countries, notably in California.

• The tree's trunk is woody with irregular, spiny branches.
• Leaves are alternate, compound pinnate, dark green, with each leaf having 3 broad-elliptic leaflets each to 10-15 cm long, attractive throughout the growing season.
• Flowers are bright crimson, in loose terminal drooping racemes up to 7 cm long, bloom in early spring, although up to two additional bloom periods may occur over the period of summer to early fall depending on growing environment.
• Flowers are followed by seed pods 7.5–20 cm long, which ripen to brown.
• Author’s Note: The author has researched both Erythrina crista-galli and Erythrina variegata at botanical gardens, on various websites and in locations in Japan and he has found discrepancies in distinguishing them regarding tree height, presence of spines and on flower shape. Caution is advised before definitively identifying these two species.