What is That Large, Cannonball Shaped Fruit in the Tropical Greenhouse?

A picture of the fruiting limbs of Crescentia cujete, the Calabash tree, located in the north section of our tropical greenhouse. . 

Q. I'm a long-time garden member and would like to know the name of the large tree located at the bottom of the greenhouse that has several large and round dark green fruits? hanging on the tree.

A.  That's a Calabash tree. Crescentia cujete. It's in the same family as the glorious pink trumpet trees that you see blooming all around the Arboretum now. The fruit is inedible, but used commonly where the tree is native (Central and South America), or where it has been introduced and naturalized (India). 

See:
http://www.fruitsinfo.com/calabash-tree-tropical-fruits.php
https://toptropicals.com/catalog/uid/Crescentia_cujete.htm
http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/content/calabash-tree.htm

Tumblr Page Update: Late March Blooms

http://laarboretum.tumblr.com/post/141961903005/recent-arboretum-blooming-plants-late-march-2016

What A Spring!

I'm seeing bloom on things like never before. Take this Azalea for instance (snapped this pic last evening). More insane bloom pix tomorrow.

Incredible looking Azalea. 

15 South Africans for Your Garden

1. Aloe “Little Red Riding Hood”
1. Description on San Marcos Growers site. 
2. Aloe arborescens hybrids
1. San Marcos Growers A. arborescens hybrid 'Lutea'
3. Aloe striata and hybrids
1. Great page on succulent-plant.com on aloes including striata. 
4. Aloe ciliaris
1. List of fire resistant plants including A. ciliaris. 
2. San Marcos growers page on 'Firewall' A. ciliaris
5. Cotylendon orbiculata var. oblongata
1. San Marcos Grower's page on Cotylendon orbiculata var. oblongata
6. Kniphofia
1. Kniphofia 'Mango Popsicle'
2. Terra Nova Nurseries (list of several varieties)
3. 'Wilhelm's Lance' very large Kniphofia enjoyed by Arboretum hummingbirds. 
7. Osteospermum varities
8. Felicia varieties
9. Pelargonium
1. Dominus Plantarum facebook page. 
10. Restios (Rhodocoma, Chonrdorpetulum)
11. Bulbine
1. Bulbine frutescens 'Tiny Tangerine'
12. Arctotis
1. Proven Winner's 'Ravers' series of Arctotis hybrids. 
2. 'Plant Lust' search engine results for Arctotis. 
13. Ceratostigma plumbaginoides
1. Missouri Botanic Garden page on C. plumbaginoides. 
14. Portulacaria ‘Dwarf Form'
1. Portulacaria 'Dwarf Form' grown as bonsai. 
15. South African Bulbs
1. Telos Rare Bulbs (located in California but mail-order only)

Links for Solanum Seeds

Yesterday at plant information class I showed different types of novel Solanum species. After class I was asked to post the links to suppliers of seeds of these plants. Here is a list:

1. Plant World Seeds
2. Trade Winds Tropical Fruit
3. Baker Creek Rare Seeds
4. Stoke's Seeds (Pumpkin on a Stick)
5. Terroir Seeds (Galapagos Tomato)