Erythrina corallodendron L., a kind of landscape tree, has long been used as a traditional medicine. In this study, the composition of essential oil extracted from the leaves was analysed by GC-MS (gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer), with linalool identified as the main compound. Its cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and HMLE cells was examined by MTT and cloning assays. Transwell and wound-healing assays were used to examine the inhibition of migration and invasion. Western blot, qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression of factors related to EMT (snail, slug, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and vimentin). The essential oil of Erythrina corallodendron leaves was found to inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. The findings of this study suggest that the essential oil of E. corallodendron leaves may merit further investigation as a potential clinical or adjuvant drug for treating breast cancer migration and invasion.