Couroupita Guianensis- Cannonball Tree

Couroupita Guianensis sometimes called the Cannonball tree because of its large cannonball shaped fruits is also known as the Sala Tree.

Couroupita Guianensis is considered a sacred tree in India by Hindus. Buddhist scriptures tell us that the Lord Buddha was born under the shade of a Sala Tree and died between two of these trees. Couroupita Guianensis is native to South America but is widely found in Thailand especially in Temple grounds. The tree is called ‘Sala Lankaa’ in Thailand. The Cannonball tree is quite unique, with its amazing fragrant flowers, known as Shivalinga in India because of their appearance, and its large fruits which emit an unpleasant smell when they fall to the ground and break open, both growing on stems sprouting directly from the trunk of the tree below the foliage. As the Cannonball tree flowers have no nectar, they rely on bees and bats for polination. Couroupita Guianensis is a deciduous tree which sheds its leaves several times a year, growing to about 15m.