see it in our own backyard

i know a friend who travelled all the way to india to see a tree which can be found in our own backyard - in our nature parks. he had gone with his wife on a conducted tour to india. the tourist guide took them to see this fascinating tree, which is quite a common tree in india. he had not known that such a tree could be found in singapore until he joined me for a walk at west coast park.

it is the cannonball tree which can be found in some of our nature parks. i have seen them at west coast park, fort canning park and the botanic gardens.

the flowers and the fruit, which is the size of a coconut without its husk, grow from the trunk of this evergreen tree.

it is hard to miss the cannonball tree. if the attractive flowers or the unusual fruits do not catch your attention, the aromatic smell, which the flowers exude, will surely draw you to the tree.

the orange, red and pink flowers give off a smell which is quite overpowering. however, it is not an unpleasant smell. in fact, it smells like some perfume.

on the other hand, the fruit, which usually cracks open upon falling to the ground, has a smell that puts people off. in other countries, some animals, including domestic animals, like chicken and pigs, have been seen eating the fruit.