I first spotted these lovely and fragrant blossoms while exploring Angkor Wat. In a region where orchids and dozens of other flowering plants are found in abundance, these still caught my eye because I’d never seen them before.
They are Cannonball tree blossoms. I’d seen Cannonball trees in my travels to Sri Lanka and Thailand before, but had not seen them in bloom. A little research later educated me. These trees are native to Central and South America, although they were introduced to Asia centuries ago and have become well established here.
The fruits resemble cannonballs, which can individually reach a weight of 1 kg. They are not usually eaten by humans, even though it is safe to do so.
