Where seen? This tree with pretty white star-shaped flowers and large round fruits is widely planted along our roadsides and in our parks. It is also sometimes seen growing wild in our mangroves, seashores and tidal rivers. According to Giesen, it is found in coastal forest and landward margins of mangroves and along rivers. It has a limited salt tolerance, and occurs on clays or sandy soils.

Features: Tree up to 15m tall, but in Singapore usually shorter. Leaves (12-30cm long) oval, dark green and glossy, held in dense spirals at the tips of the twigs. Leaves wither orange brown. Flowers (5-7cm) white with a yellowish centre, appearing at the tips of the twigs. Produces a white sap. Fruits (5-7cm) usually solitary, round and globular. First green then pink, rosy purple and finally black. Each fruit contains one poisonous seed. The fruits float and are dispersed by water. When they wash up, often only the fibrous husk is left, around a hard stone. Bark fissured, flaky, grey to brown with lenticels, often with buttress roots.

Human uses: See the fact sheets on Cerbera species in general for more about their uses.

Status and threats: This tree is listed as 'Vulnerable' on the Red List of threatened

plants of Singapore.

The fruit and seeds contains poison not to eat.

You will get 1 seed that you can plant or use for flower decoration.

The seeds are easy to germinate. Very nice to grow it inside home. The tree is small and hardy. I have several such trees in my garden which i grew from seeds and they are just beautiful with it's white flowers. The tree is cold tolerant can live in full sun or half shade.

This small decorative tree can be a great houseplant or an ornamental tree outside. several such trees will be better.