Cerbera odollam (Pong Pong, Suicide Tree, Sea Pong Pong, Yellow-eyed Cerbera, Buta Buta)
Botanical Information
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Genus | Cerbera |
| Species | odollam |
| Synonyms | Cerbera forsteri, Cerbera lactaria, Cerbera dilatata, Odollamia malabarica, Tanghinia odollam |
| Category | Tropicals, Woody |
| Type | Tree (evergreen), Shrub (evergreen) |
| Origin | Native to Singapore. |
Details
| USDA Hardiness Zone | 10a - 11 |
| USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone | Requires cold season protection under glass. |
| Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
| RHS Hardiness Zone | H3 - H1c |
| RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
| Temperature (°C) | -1.1 - above 4.5 |
| Temperature (°F) | 30 - 40 |
| Height | 12 m |
Description and Growing Information
| General Description | A medium-sized tree, up to 12 m tall, with a rounded, bushy crown. |
| Shape | A rounded, bushy crown. |
| Landscape | Plant as a street or specimen tree. |
| Propagation | By seed. |
| Cultivation | Full sun and partial-shade. Well-drained and dry to medium soil. Prefers deep, sandy soil. |
| Notable Specimens | Royal Park Rajapruek, Mae Hia, Thailand. |
| Habitat | It grows preferentially in coastal salt swamps and in marshy areas. |
| Bark/Stem Description | Knobbly and buttressed, with rough greyish bark. |
| Leaf Description | Glossy green, narrowly obovate to elliptic, with a short drip-tip. Dying leaves often turn orange before falling off the tree. |
| Flower Description | Prominent white flowers with five petals, typical of Apocynaceae family. Flowers have a yellow "eye" in the centre, and are fragrant. |
| Fruit Description | Smooth, round, apple-like, containing a single large poisonous seeds, surrounded by thick fibrous husk and a papery outer pulp. Ripen from green to reddish purple to brownish-black, before dropping ofrom the tree. |
Photographs
Cerbera odollam, form, Royal Park Rajapruek, Mae Hia, Thailand.
Cerbera odollam, leaf, Royal Park Rajapruek, Mae Hia, Thailand.
Cerbera odollam, flower, Royal Park Rajapruek, Mae Hia, Thailand.
Cerbera odollam, fruit, Royal Park Rajapruek, Mae Hia, Thailand.
Cerbera odollam, bark, Royal Park Rajapruek, Mae Hia, Thailand.