Canonball Trees and Freaky Figs

One of the great things about living in the tropics is the incredible flora and fauna. I've lost count of the number of times I've been walking through a park or even down the street and say, "wow, look at that !"





This first photo shows one of the coolest and weirdest trees which I've found here. Known as the Canon Ball Tree, it seems pretty ordinary until you notice the enormous brown spheres hanging from the lower branches. Solid to the touch and really heavy, they seem like they could literally be used as canon balls. They are suspended on long, naked, vine like stems which must be pretty tough to support the weight.

As if that weren't enough to set the tree apart, it also has the most amazing huge pink flowers with a white cup-shaped heart topped by yellow stamens. They are just stunning and look exotic enough to be something you'd normally have to pay to see in a botanical garden, yet here they are just growing alongside the road.


You can see a hand on the right-hand edge of the first photo holding one of the 'canon balls'. This is one of the women with whom I did a walking tour of historic Black & White houses recently. Although she is holding her hand there to give a sense of the size of the spherical fruits, we just about caused an accident on the very busy Tanglin Road when we stopped to feel this trees balls!

Another weird and wonderful tree I've come across is the local fig. For some unknown reason, the figs here grow their fruit straight out of the trunck instead of in bunches hanging from stems like any normal tree would do. The effect is kind of creepy actually but I suppose there must be a good reason for it.

I don't know if you can actually eat these figs - maybe one of you can let me know, the fruit may just be ornamental.



It's always worth keeping your eyes open and taking the time to look closely at the plant life here, because you just never know what weird and unusual discoveries you'll make.