HEIGHT up to 65 ft (20 m)
TYPE Evergreen
OCCURRENCE Mexico, Guatemala, South America (Peru, Bolivia, Brazil)
Introduced into many tropical regions, such as the West Indies, Sri Lanka, India, and, in 1876, Singapore, this tree is widely cultivated. Its large, domed canopy provides plenty of shade, making it an important roadside and park tree. BARK Dark gray, rough, and deeply furrowed into thin plates or corky ridges. LEAF Alternate, bipinnate, with 6–16 squarish to elliptic leaflets, increasing in size from bottom to top of the tree; shiny above, with fine hairs below. FLOWER Spherical pink flower heads in stalked clusters. FRUIT Straight or curved pod, with a sweet pulp; pods smell of honey when broken.
