Kapok
Ceiba pentandra · Malvaceae · also Ceiba, Silk-cotton tree, Sumaúma, Fromager
A giant emergent of tropical forest with a straight grey trunk studded with prickles when young, enormous plank buttresses and a flat-topped crown far above the canopy. It is sacred to the Maya and the national tree of Guatemala and Puerto Rico, and its seed pods yield kapok, the buoyant stuffing fibre. Leafless for months, it is a pioneer that colonises clearings quickly, and its size and roots suit only plazas, parks and farmland.
Where it stands
Native
Care
Plant in full sun in deep soil, cutting rank growth around seedlings for the first two years until they overtop weeds; taungya intercropping is traditional. Needs no watering after establishment. Give it an enormous root run away from paving and buildings. Defoliating caterpillars, mistletoe and wood-rotting fungi attack it; the soft timber is vulnerable to insects.
Benefits
Good for