This beautiful African Tulip Tree is in our backyard and is such an interesting and beautiful tree with red tulip-like flowers. Even from afar, you can see the flaming red flowers on these large trees, which can grow to be more than 50 feet tall!!
Each brown banana-shaped flower bud is filled with water & Hawaii children quickly realized these buds made a fun natural water pistol when squeezed. The tree blooms year round and a flower lasts about 3 days. The ripe pods split open into a woody, boat-shaped form. Another natural toy for Hawaii children – they would use these special boats in races by placing the opened pods in a fast flowing drain.
In West Africa, their homeland, the wood is used to make drums and blacksmith's bellows. The seeds are edible & the soft, white timber used in making paper. Traditional medicinal uses include using the bark and leaves in wound & burn healing. The bark and leaves also show a wide spectrum of antibacterial activity including anti-malarial activity.
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