It is called a cannon tree, since the fruits are very similar to cannonballs, and the sound they make when falling is similar to the explosion of a shell. It is very dangerous to be under this tree; the fruits weigh several kilograms, and the diameter reaches up to thirty. He'll kill you right away.
The cannon tree (scientific name Couroupita guianensis) is native to the southern Caribbean and northern South America. The flowering period differs slightly depending on the place of growth - for example, in the Dominican Republic in February, and in Colombia a month later.
The fruits of this evergreen tree appear to grow straight from the tree trunk. The flowers are also somewhat strange, appearing in large brightly colored bunches up to a meter in length. Unlike fruits, they have a wonderful smell.
The weirdness doesn't end there. Flowers do not have nectar, but they do have pollen and thus pollination is carried out mainly by bees. Pollen is produced by a flower in two varieties - one type is fertile, and the other is not. Fertile pollen is found on the stamens, which rub against the hind legs of the bees, linger there and are transferred to another tree. Infertile pollen serves as food for bees.
Flowers do not grow directly from the trunk, but develop on a thick stem. At this stage, the stems seem too strong for the smaller, lighter flowers, which don't need as much support. And only when fruits appear and grow instead of them, it becomes clear why such thick stems are needed.
The common name of the tree is, of course, only a few hundred years old, but the sound of the cracking falling fruit is very telling. The destroyed fruit has a not very pleasant smell. Some animals are attracted to it, and when the seeds pass through the digestive system they land on fertile soil, they have every chance of starting a new life.
Anyone who lives next to coconut trees knows that intentionally planting such trees near roads is not very polite to passers-by. Anyone can end up under it at the wrong moment and get hit on the head.
