Tanjong Tree (HT 2019 304)

Reference ID
HT 2019-304

Scientific name: Mimusops elengi
Family name: Sapotaceae
Girth: 4.42 m @ 1.3 m height
Height: 14.8 m

Location
Opp Blk 137 Lorong Ah Soo,
Hougang Avenue 1 (future Tanjong Tree
Residences)

The Tanjong Tree is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 15 m in height. It has a rounded crown, and the leaves are smooth and simple with wavy margins. Its white flowers are small and star-shaped with a sweet smell.

The fruit is orange-red with velvety skin and contains a single large hard seed. Birds such as the Black-naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis, Pink-necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans) and Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea) feed on the ripe fruit.

In the past, children would string the dried star-like flowers into necklaces. The tree has many traditional medicinal uses: the leaves are used to ease headaches, the bark is used to treat pimples and the roots are used to soothe sore throats.

A resident in the area nominated this beautiful Tanjong Tree to be a Heritage Tree. Based on its large girth of 4 m, it is estimated that the tree had stood here for more than 60 years when endorsed as a Heritage Tree in 2019.

For more information on this species, please refer to NParks Flora & Fauna Web profile here.

Gallery

📷: Brendon Phuah