Crescentia Species, Calabash Tree

Calabash tree growing in Indiatlantic, Florida - Brevard County. Very large tree with lots of flowers and fruit. I have photos I can share

I planted calabash (C.cujete) seeds from my Caribbean home island, twenty-eight years ago, here in SW Fl . Alas! I have a gourd. Good tin...Read Moreg I brought my own cookware of them with me, as that is what we generally use the fruits for.

There are 3 trees from the effort and two are over 25 feet tall, but with trunks of only about 6 inches. The original tree has a trunk of at least 18-20 inches and exists next to a rural well.

I would like to know more about the growth habits of this tree. How deep do the roots spread, is there a deep tap root? Does anyone have any idea what months they tend to bloom here? I only have the one fruit because I chance to have seen a single flower last year when I played bat with a paintbrush.

This site is only one of two that have described the growth habits of this tree, the other was Parrot Jungle Island in Miami.

I had a hard time getting this plant identified in Brownsville, TX. It grows in two or three separate locations around town but none had...Read More fruit until this last year. I believe that with the lack of a winter we had in 2005-2006 the trees were finally able to sucessfully flower and fruit. The leaves as in my photo join in a middle point and radiate out like a cross which is unlike some of the other photos of this same tree- cujete. Other sources show C.alata as having these crossed leaves. The fruits turn brown and rock hard and its easy to see why they are so popular for decoration.

The instrument used to give rythim to Capoeira (a brazilian martial art), called "berimbau", uses the dry shell of this fruit cut in a ha...Read Morelf.

When the tree is loaded with mature fruits, the erect branches bend down, changing the tree´s shape. Interesting effect, that.