Crescentia Cujete aka Calabash Tree

Crescentia Cujete, commonly known as the calabash tree, is the national tree of St. Lucia. 

The tree is a evergreen that  produces unusual flowers and fruits. The flowers are greenish yellow with red veins, while the fruit – large, round and hard – hang directly beneath the branches.

Calabash tree facts indicate that - "the tree’s flowers, each about two inches wide, are cup shaped. They seem to grow directly from the calabash branches. They only bloom at night and emit a slight odor. By noon of the following day, the flowers wilt and die. The calabash tree flowers are pollinated by bats during the night."

In time, the trees produce the round fruit. They look like pomelos. These large fruits take six months to ripen. The fruits are not edible to humans but they are used for a variety of ornamental purposes. For example, the  pup of the fruit of the Calabash Tree can be scooped out and the empty shells then made into bowls, cups and containers.

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