Crescentia cujete (Calabash Tree)

Native from Mexico to Venezuela and across the Caribbean, this plant is a low-branching tree reaching about thirty feet tall. Its narrow leaves broaden toward their tips and grow in clusters along the branches. Fleshy, bell-shaped flowers emerge singly or in pairs directly from the trunk and larger branches. They are greenish to cream, often marked with purple veins, and have a musty scent. Rounded or elongated fruits develop hard shells and contain flat seeds embedded in pulp. The pulp is poisonous. Hollowed shells are traditionally made into bowls, containers, musical instruments and carved ornaments. The tree occurs in thickets, savannas, pastures and along roadsides and is widely cultivated in tropical regions. Photographed in the department of Atlántico, Colombia.