I found these bright red seeds in the woods and was fascinated with them, couldn't wait to find out what they were. I took them to a friend in Native Plant Society and she told me how to plant them. They are very hard to germinate. I planted 12, after soaking overnight and clipping off the ends of each bean. Five came up the following spring and all have died except for this one. Each spring it came up tall and bright green with heart shaped leaves and thorny stems, but never bloomed. It came up late this spring and I almost pulled it out of my garden, but decided to give it one more chance---it bloomed!!!!
Coral-bean or Cherokee Bean is a member of the bean family and is quite showy giving forth scarlet red when it blooms and then in the fall with its seed pods full of red beans. It is a beautiful plant but needs attention as it is toxic. Though toxic, Native Americans found many uses for this plant. The roots were used to make an infusion to treat bowel pain. A decoction of the leaves was used as a tonic. Some used an extract of the roots for digestive problems and extracts of the seeds or inner bark as an external rub for joint pain. Here, again, how did they know how to use this toxic plant for their benefit? In Central America the seeds are ground up and used for rat poison and to poison fish. If ingested in large amounts it can cause paralysis. Beautiful addition to your garden, but be careful with this one. :) The entire plant is poisonous.
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Isaiah 1:18 KJV
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