Genipa americana (Genipap)

Native from southern Mexico through tropical America, this plant is a deciduous tree that typically grows twenty-six to sixty-five feet tall. It occurs in moist forests and tolerates the seasonal flooding of Amazonian river plains. Its faintly fragrant flowers open white and turn yellow, followed by large rounded or oval berries containing numerous seeds in soft yellow-brown pulp.

The ripe fruit is cooked with sugar to make syrups and is used in drinks and desserts. Juice from the green fruit produces a dark blue dye traditionally used by Indigenous peoples of South America for body painting and coloring fabrics and other materials. The fine-grained wood is easy to work and is used for cabinetry, carving and light construction, although it is not durable. Photographed in the department of Santander, Colombia.