Erythrina americana (Coral Tree)

Native to Mexico, this deciduous tree has compound leaves divided into three leaflets and commonly reaches about twenty to twenty-six feet tall. Long clusters of glossy, bright red tubular flowers develop early in the year while the branches are still leafless. The narrow flowers have inspired the Mexican nickname cuchillitos, meaning little knives. As the leaves develop, seed pods replace the flowers; the pods contain shiny red seeds. It is cultivated as an ornamental beyond its native range and is used for living fences in Mexico. The tree forms partnerships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in its roots and can be propagated from cuttings. Photographed in Colombia.