Alice Springs Desert Park

Alice Springs Desert ParkFauna Flora Nature Theatre Nocturnal House

Also known as the Bean Tree, the Batswing Coral Tree (Erythrina vespertilio) is found on all mainland states of Australia except Victoria, especially across northern Australia from semi-arid through to rainforest regions.

The term vespertilio meaning bat, which makes reference to the ‘bat shaped leaves’ found on this straggly tree.

Growing anywhere between 6 to 12 metres in height, this deciduous tree has a smooth corky grey-brown bark and thorns appearing on the trunk and branches.


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Class: Equisetopsida
  • Family: Fabaceae
  • Genus: Erythrina
  • Species: Erythrina vespertilio


ASDP FloraFlora Index Batswing Coral Tree Blue Mallee Bush Banana Buttercup Pigweed Dead Finish Desert Grevillea Desert Oak Desert Raisin Field Lily Georges Indigo Golden Everlasting Honey Grevillea Kangaroo Grass Lamarchea sulcata Myoporum acuminatum (Boobialla) Native Apricot Native Bluebell Native Cotton Bush Native Tomato Nicotiana megalosiphon subsp sessilifolia Olearia ferresii Parrot Pea Pink Everlasting Poached Egg Daisy Potato Vine Quandong Rattlepod Grevillea Red-bud Mallee Red Mulga Resurrection Fern Rough Halgania Sandover Lily Silkyheads Small Yellow Button (Chrysocephalum apiculatum) Spearwood Bush Sturt’s Desert Pea Waddy-wood Walukara Weeping Spinifex White Spider Flower Wild Passionfruit Witchetty Bush Wildflower Display

Alice Springs Desert ParkFauna Flora Nature Theatre Nocturnal House