also: でいこ
Indian coral tree; Erythrina variegata
A deciduous tree native to tropical Asia, known for its bright red flowers. In Japan, it is strongly associated with Okinawa, where it is the prefectural flower. Usually written in katakana as デイゴ.
In Okinawa, when the Indian coral tree blooms, people feel that summer has arrived.
The Indian coral tree is often planted as a street tree.
Alternate reading でいこ in hiragana; rarely used.
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used. The tree is almost always written in kana.
Alternate ateji spelling; even less common than 梯梧.
Alternate reading でいこ in katakana; less common than デイゴ.
The Japanese name デイゴ (deigo) likely derives from the Ryukyuan name for the tree. The kanji 梯梧 and 梯姑 are ateji (phonetic equivalents) and are rarely used.