The blossom of a small pond apple tree growing on the edge of a depression marsh at Sweetbay Natural Area. The fruit of the pond apple are edible (don't eat the seeds) but not usually very tasty. The leaves are insecticidal. Seeds, leaves & bark are poisonous and contain a wide range of chemicals. Eat The Weeds website warns not to handle the seeds and then touch the eyes (the seeds can cause blindness) and that the leaves are used to kill lice in hens' nests and to poison fish! The pond apple also has a variety of medicinal uses and research is exploring their anticancer properties. This tree is a beloved native of Florida but it's a serious invasive pest in Australia.