Editorial photo #10194870 Human Interest

Cannonball Tree

Cannonball tree (Couroupita guianensis) is a deciduous tall, soft-wooded tree, tree in the flowering plant family Lecythidaceae. It is native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, and now it is cultivated in many tropical areas throughout the world because of its beautiful, fragrant flowers and large, interesting fruits. The showy flowers, borne in racemes 60-90 cm (2-3 feet) long, grow straight from the trunk and have concave petals about 5 cm (2 inches) long. It has been used to treat hypertension, tumors, pain, and inflammation, the common cold, stomachache, skin conditions and wounds, malaria, and toothache, although data on its efficacy are lacking. The tree has cultural and religious significance in India. Although the flowers lack nectar, they are very attractive to bees, which come for the pollen. After cannonball tree introduction to the In Sri Lanka island by the British in 1881, and has been included as a common item in Buddhist temples as a result. A Carpenter bee (Xylocopa) extracted nectar from the beautiful colorful Cannonball blooms at Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Sargachi at Beldanga, West Bengal; India on 22/6/2023 (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)