Parkia pendula is an evergreen tree from South America.
During the flowering period, it develops thin, woody stems approx.
1 meter long, at the end of which hang 150-200 spherical structures, each covered with up to 1,300 tiny flowers.
All bloom at the same time in one night: at first they appear bright red, turn yellow-red at dusk and take on a purple-red hue towards the end of the night.
Some flowers can produce extremely high amounts of nectar, which contains up to 20% fructose.
Bats are considered to be the main pollinators.
The seed pods are extremely sticky due to the high sugar content.
They form an amber-colored “chewing gum” to which the seeds stick. Many primates and parrots eat the nutrient-rich and sugar-sweet “chewing gum”, swallow the seeds and spread them over wide regions through their excrement.
