Erythina  abyssinica is a shrub or a heliophyte tree which  may reach 2-10  (20) m in height. Its trunk  is sinuous and  may have 1m of diameter. It has a rough , cracked bark lined with a thick cork. The branches are thorny, and the leaves are caducs, with triangular or lineal stipules,  trifoliate with a hooked thorny petioles, covered with a tomentum. The leaf limb is oval to rhombic with a thorny median nervure.

The leaves fall from July to August. And bloom flom June to August. Inflorescence is a dense, erect, pyramidal raceme with reddish flower  

They extract from Flowers, leaves, barks and roots medicines tocure leprosy wound, malaria, intestinal worms. The concoction of these elements give also purgative, and anthelminthic medicines.  They also fabricate poison with them. It has also antimicrobial properties. In our neighboring countries, erytrina abyssinica is used as follow:

The bark of young  stems is used in preparation of medicine for treating eyes when there is  an inflammationof eyelids ( possibily trachoma). The tree is used in cursing completely deranged people, for instance thieves, drunkards who causes violence to society. Pounded part of the plant used in steam  form for treating “Anthrax”. The bark is boiled with goat’s meat for treating gonorrhea.Roots used for trating malaria,syiphilis and snake bite.

The bark of green stems is pounded and then  tied  into a fine piece of cloth, the liquid from it is squeezed into eyes when thereis inflammation of the lid, drunk as an anthelmintic and to relieve a special abdominal pain. The bark is also roasted  until black then powdered and the powder applied to burns and general body swelling. Kashangirwa Richard uses Erythrina abissinica whole plants (all parts) in different preparations  to treat yaws.

Flowers are melliferous.Leaves were used to conserve the cow butter.Seeds were used to fabricate the necklace The tree is very chershed in our country as a protector tree.