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Family: Fabaceae
Form: Deciduous multi-stemmed shrub reaching 10 to 15 ft.
Leaves: Trifoliate, alternate, distinctly tri-lobed
Stem/Bark: Young green stems becoming fibrous and brown with age; short curved spines
Flower: Red, tubular, terminal racemes flowering before new leaves
Fruit: Green pods turning brown and exposing red seeds
Comments: Flowers appear after leaves have dopped, making them stand out against the bare, light bark.
![](images/Erythrina_herbacea_flower.jpg)
![](images/Erythrina_herbacea_fruit.jpg)
![](images/Erythrina_herbacea_leaves.jpg)
![](images/Erythrina_herbacea_landscape.jpg)