Family: Fabaceae (Caesalpinoidae)

Status:

Description:
A medium sized deciduous tree with knobbly grey-green bark, and numerous small triangular rose-like thorns. The bright green leaves are compound, with three large roughly triangular leaflets, the central one on a much longer stalk than the two side leaflets. Flowers are red, about 5cm long, enclosed in a single large folded petal, in large clusters. Seed is not produced in Australia.

Preferred habitat and impacts:
It has been widely planted as a street and garden tree in coastal NSW, and being a sterile hybrid, it is not capable of getting out into the bush by itself. It should therefore be a harmless garden or farm plant, but unfortunately any piece of the plant left in contact with the ground can take root. The plant is spread from fallen branches, and prunings dumped in the bush.

Dispersal:
Dumping, particularly in moist sites.

Look-alikes:
None, other than the smaller and less common garden plant, cockspur coral tree (Erythrina crista-galli). Coral tree is often confused with the Illawarra flame tree (Brachychiton acerifolius), which is a native of the NSW coast north from Nowra, not because of a similarity in appearance, but because Coral tree is often grown in the Illawarra, and both have bright red flowers. Illawarra flame tree has large three-lobed leaves similar to passionfruit leaves in shape, and red bell-shaped flowers. Because it is widely grown as a garden plant Illawara flame tree is also spreading outside its natural distribution.

Control:
Do not dump any part of this plant. If existing plants are being cut down, they need to be burnt or taken to land-fill where they will not re-grow. For existing plants, cut and paint or stem inject.