Flowers of Vietnam

The Cannonball Tree

Top row, photos #1, #3 (Cannonbal Fruit) & #5

The cannonball tree is considered highly sacred and is frequently planted near Lord Shiva temples.

Although the cannonball fruit is edible, it is rarely eaten by humans. When opened the white flesh oxidizes to an unappealing blue color and releases an acrid, unpleasant odor, often compared to burnt rubber or sulfur.

Because of the smell and the intensely tart, earthly taste, most people avoid it entirely, though some rainforest animals do eat it.