Beach Almond Tree (Terminalia catappa)

• A large tropical tree in the leadwood tree family, Combretaceae and native to Australia
• Common names: country almond, Indian almond, Malabar almond, sea almond, tropical almond, and beach almond
• They are one of the few trees which lose their leaves during winter on the island. Usually by the end of August all their leaves have turned a deep red and have fallen, littering the ground with a mosaic of rich warm hues
• Their fruits which contain an almond seed are edible, medicinal and also a well known cassowary food
• The fruit is edible and tastes slightly acidic like almonds. The flesh is difficult to separate from the hard stone but can be eaten raw and oil can be extracted from the dried nuts used in cooking. The green almond-shaped fruit turns red to purple when ripe and the seeds are dispersed by water. The smooth outer skin covers an inner layer of
  corky fibres which surround the nut and help the fruit to float