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Lecythidaceae
Cannonball Tree
Couroupita guianensis
Sacred power and abundance.
- Family
- Lecythidaceae
- Genus
- Couroupita
- Native to
- Central America, South America, Caribbean
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer, Fall
- Type
- tree
- Height
- 50-80 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- rich, moist, tropical
- Water
- high
- Hardiness
- 11-12
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The large, round, woody fruits really do look like old cannonballs, measuring 6-10 inches in diameter.
- Flowers grow directly from the trunk and major branches (cauliflory), creating dramatic cascading clusters.
- It is considered sacred in Hindu and Buddhist traditions; many specimens are planted in temple grounds across Southeast Asia.
- The foul-smelling fruit pulp has been used traditionally for medicinal purposes and as a natural disinfectant.
- Each flower lasts only one day and produces an intensely fragrant, complex scent that has been described as having over 100 aromatic compounds.
Color meanings
0
sacred power
1
abundance
2
cosmic beauty