A tall evergreen tree that can grow up to 25 m to 40 m height. Trunk is massive, cylindrical, from base. Bark is smooth, pinkish brown in colour, often cracking at branch-trunk junction. Leaves compound, leaflets are oblong elliptic, dark green, leathery, about 10cm x 2cm in size, dotted with minute oil glands. Flowers are about 3cm wide, smell of sour milk. Pods are heavy and woody, stink when bruised.
The West Indian Locust Tree originated from the tropical American jungles and was introduced to Singapore in 1875. A quick-growing evergreen tree, it can be recognized by the twin leaflet compound leaves and the woody fruit pods. The tree produces a strong timber and yields a resin used to manufacture quality varnish called copal. This Heritage Tree has a girth of 4.3m when measured in 2003.