~ Balata, the bullet wood tree ~ by Kay Pope
It is generally known that this evergreen hardwood tree comes from the rain forests of northern South America, particularly Brazil, the Guaianas, Venezuela and Panama. But Balata is also a native of the Caribbean found in limestone forests ranging from moist coastal areas to higher elevations in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, Martinique and islands south to Trinidad. Officially known as Manilkara bidentata this tree belongs the Sapotaceae family and is also related to the Caribbean Sapodilla which sometimes appears in our supermarkets. Although the Spanish name Balata is most…read more at http://bit.ly/2sF7yfk













