Detail of the Cannonball tree bloom
This is one wild looking tree! The Cannonball tree or Couroupita guianensis is native to South America. The flowers spring from stems that cover the trunk.
Cannonball tree bloom
The blooms contain no nectar so mainly attract bees, in particular Carpenter for the pollen. The fruit aka the “cannonball” often splits when it hits the ground emitting an unpleasant stench but one that does not deter it being eaten by animals.
Cannonball tree
Cannonball tree fruit
An ornamental plant, this white bat lily or Tacca integrifolia was found at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden on the Big Island. It stood out in all of its alien goodness.
Beehive Ginger
Beehive Ginger
I’m taking the edge off of being being outdoors enveloped in a thick wet fog thanks to the Carmel coastline by starting to edit a few of my Big Island (Hawaii) images. No complaints as I have a friend’s wedding to ease my return to reality late Thursday evening. Microfono is the Spanish name, most visually fitting for Beehive ginger or Zingiber spectabile. In February it was too early to see any blooms. Happily I can’t say the same for June.
Mai Tai
Ginger shot at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, Big Island
The vacation felt more like a waking dream until I printed out the boarding pass for my early morning flight to Kona. It’s going to be an adventure, one that does not include for the first time in thirteen years the company of Henry, my son. I missed him as soon as he took off for his father’s house this afternoon but I know I’m going to be just fine, better than fine. I’m planning on catching up on some photography that does not happen when all day is designated for boogie boarding.
One of my favorite spots, well mine and a large number of senior citizens judging from my last visit is the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. This seventeen acre property was a private garden for a number of years but now everyone can enjoy its beauty.
Catch up with you in a week.
