coral tree

American  

noun

1. any of various tropical shrubs or trees of the genus Erythrina, of the legume family, having large clusters of pealike flowers.

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coral tree British  

noun

1. any of various thorny, tropical trees of the leguminous genus Erythrina, having bright red flowers and reddish shiny seeds

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Etymology

Origin of coral tree

First recorded in 1625–35

Example Sentences

The Buddha survived, but the coral tree that shaded it was gone.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025

First come the plants: the Baishan fir and the Qiaojia pine, the coral tree and the suicide palm.

From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2023

He’s on the phone from his home in Beverly Hills, where he keeps a sunny office above the garage with a distant view of the ocean through a big coral tree.

From Washington Post • Mar. 13, 2017

A scuba diver hovers above a black coral tree bursting with cardinal fish.

From National Geographic • Nov. 16, 2015

Heavy with glossy pink and white fruits, the coral tree branches swayed softly above her.

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin