Download Ceiba pentandra Family: Malvaceae

Stephen H. Brown, Horticulture Agent
Lee County Extension, Fort Myers, Florida
Danielle Ammeson, Intern, Florida Gulf Coast Univ.
(239) 533-7513 [email protected]
http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/GardenHome.shtml
Ceiba pentandra
Family: Malvaceae
Common Names: Kapok, cotton-tree, Ceiba,
silk cotton-tree, pochote, fromager, bongo
Synonyms (Discarded names): Bombax pentandrum, Bombax guineense,Cebia caribaea, C.
casearia, Eriodendron anfractuosum, E. ocidentale, E. orientale, Xylon pentandrum
Origin: Caribbean, Central America, Northern
and Western South America, Brazil, Western
Tropical Africa
U.S.D.A. Zone: 10A-11 (30°F minimum)
Growth Rate: Fast
Plant Type: Large Tree
Leaf Persistence: Briefly deciduous in winter
Flowering Months: Mostly February to early
March
Light Requirements: High
Salt Tolerance: Medium
Drought Tolerance: High
Wind Tolerance: Moderate
Soil Requirements: Wide
Nutritional Requirements: Medium
Major Potential Pests: None in Florida
Typical Dimensions: 120’x80’
Propagation: Seed, cuttings
Human Hazards: Spiny
Uses: Shade, specimen
Danielle Ammeson
Fort Myers, Florida
Mid July
The buttressed trunk and surface roots of C. pentandra
Black River, Jamaica
Geographic Distribution and Ecology
Ceiba pentandra grows in the dry, humid, and very humid tropics. It has worldwide tropical distribution
growing scattered with no large concentrations of trees. Kapok is considered native to the Bahamas and
the Caribbean, Northern Mexico to Northern South America. It is also native in many countries of tropical West Africa from Cape Verde, eastward to Chad and south to Angola. One explanation for its transcontinental nativity is that sea currents might have carried the trees’ floating seed capsules to new locations. There is strong ecological, botanical and cytological evidence that the trees’ original distribution
may have been in western and central Africa. The controversy is not yet settled.
Kapok is now seen throughout the tropics mainly because it was extensively cultivated for the fibrous
kapok found in mature fruit capsules. The tree has become naturalized on many Pacific Islands. It is
occasionally seen in South Florida where in some places its growth is restricted by low winter temperatures. It occurs in rainforests and in gallery forests in drier areas. It is a pioneer in secondary forest and
riverine forest, and is rarely found in primary forest. In Costa Rica it is found in areas with 0 to 6 months
of no precipitation. The tree requires abundant rainfall during the vegetative period and a drier period for
flowering and fruiting. It is not tolerant of strong wind and raging fire.
North America
23˚N
Me
xic
o
Central
America
Atlantic
Ocean
South America
23˚N
5˚N
Africa
23˚S
Natural and introduced distribution in Africa
(Brink, et al)
Atlantic
Ocean
Considered native range of C. pentandra (Chinea-Rivera, 1990)
Growth Habit
The Trunk: The species is a gigantic, fast-growing tree and is one of the largest trees in the tropics. Under ideal conditions, the tree reaches a height of 16 to 19 feet within two years. It is common for this tree
to grow anywhere between 100 to 200 feet tall. The trunks of young trees can take on various appearances. Trunk and branches of some juvenile trees are covered with heavy conical spines on brown or
silvery bark. Others are mostly spineless with silver or green bark. Yet others have smooth green bark.
Older trees of whatever types have gray trunks and those with spines lose most or all of them with age.
Buttressing of Trunk: Older kapok trees can be identified by their very large buttress or flanged trunks.
The buttress grows out from the base of the tree and can be many feet above ground. It gives greater stability to the tree’s massive trunk which can reach up to 9 feet in diameter.
Young tree with silvery gray bark
and conical spines
Boca Raton, Florida
Negril, Jamaica
Young tree with a mostly spineless
trunk
West Palm Beach, Florida
Young tree with a smooth green
bark
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Danielle Ammeson
Fort Myers, Florida
Black River, Jamaica
Savanna-La-Mar, Jamaica
New Providence Island, Bahamas
Tree Forms: Trees seem to develop two noticeable forms. Firstly, trees grown in competition with other
trees become the emergent vegetation and develop a long, cylindrical bole above the buttress. The moreor-less horizontal branches come out high on the trunk and provide a noticeably flat base for the crown
of the tree. Secondly, trees grown without significant vegetative competition are less inclined to have a
trunk free of mid-level branches. The width of these trees are usually noticeably greater than the height.
Young trees grown in the open have recognizable tiered branches.
Tiered branches of a young tree
West Palm Beach, Florida
Savanna-La-Mar
Late January
An emergent tree left standing after clearing the forest
Costa Rica
Late October
Mid September
Black River, Jamaica
Near Savanna-La-Mar, Jamaica
Late January
Late March
Leaves
Kapok is deciduous during part of the dry season. Trees can be leafless at different times in the same
general location. Leaves are alternate, palmate with 5 to 9 entire leaflets. They are 3 to 8 inches long on
slender green petioles 3 to 9 inches long. Leaflets are glabrous, oblong in shape, 3 to 8 inches long, and
droop from short stalks. In South Florida, the leaves are shed in the months of November to January.
New leaf growth is rapid and begins occurring while the tree is still in flower. This takes place for about
two weeks sometime in February or March. The dry season in Florida persists into June well after the
trees have refoliated.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Late December
Black River, Jamaica
Late January
Flowering and Flowers
Flowering of Ceiba pentendra occurs at different times throughout the world but within the dry season
of each location. It flowers when it is deciduous or when it is almost without foliage. In Mexico flowering occurs from January to March. In Trinidad and Tobago kapok flowers from February to May. In the
Dominican Republic it’s from December to February. In Java, it’s during the month of May. In South
Florida, kapok blooms for 2 to 3 weeks from January to March. However, bloom time is unpredictable
from year to year and for some trees, annual flowering does not occur.
Kapok is considered to be a hermaphroditic species (flowers contain both reproductive parts). Flower are
rather small and numerous. They are found near the branch end in dense pendent axillary clusters. The
five petal flowers take on various hues of white and pink and have brown hairs on the surface. The 5
stamens are joined at the base and project beyond the recurved petals. The flowers give off a noticeable
odor and attract pollinating insects. Bats, birds and bees are major pollinators. Pollination is inhibited
when nighttime temperatures fall below 60°F. Consequently, many trees in Florida do not set fruit.
Shortly after flowering, the tree refoliates.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Mid February
Unpollinated flowers
Fort Myers, Florida
Mid February
Tree coming into bloom
Antigua, Eastern Caribbean
Late January
Tree with fading flowers and emerging pods
Tree in full bloom
Near Burnt Savanna, Jamaica
Westmoreland, Jamaica
Late January
Late January
Fruit
Woody seed capsules mature in spring and summer. Capsules are usually 4 to 8 inches long, and 2
inches in diameter. They are oblong or elliptic tapering off at the ends. In spring and summer, the mature
capsules split into five segments releasing the characteristic “silk cotton” also known as kapok. Many
black seeds found within the capsules are widely and freely dispersed by the wind. The kapok allows the
seeds to parachute or float for long periods of time before settling and perhaps germinating.
Both Pictures: New Providence Island, Bahamas, Late March
Uses
Ceiba pentandra is planted as a shade or specimen tree. The flowers are numerous but the bloom is not
prominent enough for it to be considered a worthwhile ornamental flowering tree. The tree is sometimes
left by farmers after clearing the forest for agricultural land, to serve as a shade tree for cultivation of
crops such as coffee and tea.
It is reported that leaves, buds, and fruit are edible when cooked. In Java the young pod is eaten and in
West Africa the seeds are eaten roasted or in soups. Leaves are readily consumed by cattle, goats and
sheep.
Kapok was an important commercial fiber before the Second World War, with Indonesia being the most
important producer. The use of kapok fiber declined in the late 20th century after the introduction of
synthetic substitutes. A growing tree produces about 600 to 900 seed capsules or 6 to 9 pounds of clean
floss annually known as kapok. This fiber is fine, lightweight, elastic and does not matt under pressure.
The fiber is brittle and inflammable and not suitable for spinning into threads. Kapok was used for stuffing pillow, lifebuoys, life-jackets, mattresses, saddles, sleeping bags and protective clothing.
The wood is now seldom used on the islands of the Caribbean. It is very light brown but nearly always
turned to blue gray by sap-staining fungi. Exceedingly light weight (specific gravity 0.23), it is very soft,
weak, coarse-textured and straight-grained. The heartwood is not clearly demarcated from the sapwood.
Despite the lack of durability, the wood was the common material used for long dugout canoes by Aboriginal Indians. It is suitable for making tubs, basins, stools and for carvings of all types.
Similar Appearing Species
Two other trees seen more frequently in South Florida are easily confused for C. pentandra. The silkcotton tree (Ceiba speciosa) and the red silk-cotton tree (Bombax ceiba) are described by clicking on the
blue words.
References
Barwick, Margaret. 2004. Tropical & Subtropical Trees An Encyclopedia. Timber Press, Portland,
Oregon
Brink, M. and Achigan, Dako. Editors. Ceiba pendandra. Porta 16. Fibres/Plantes a Fibres. PROTA
Network Office Europe. Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
Broschat, Timothy, K and Meerow, Alan W. 2002. Betrock’s Reference Guide to Florida Landscape
Plants. Betrock’s Information Systems, Inc. Davie, Florida
Chinea-Rivera, Jesus Daniel. 1990. Ceiba pentandra: Ceiba, kapok. SO-IDT-SM-29. US DA, Forest
Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station, 4. New Orleans, LA
Gill, Tom. 1931. Tropical Forests of the Caribbean. The Read-Taylor Company, Baltimore, Maryland
Kirk, Kent. 2009. Tropical Trees of Florida and the Virgin Islands. A guide to identification, characteristics and uses. Pineapple Press, Sarasota, Florida
Little, Elbert and Wadsworth, Frank. 1964. Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Agriculture handbook No. 249. USDA, Washington D.C.
Llamas, Kristen.2003. Tropical Flowering Plants: A guide to identification and cultivation. Timber
Press, Portland, Oregon
Quesnel, V.C. and Farnell, T.F. 2000. Native Trees of Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago Field
Naturalists’ Club, Port of Spain, Trinidad
USDA, ARS. Ceiba pentandra. Germplasms Resources Information Network.
Useful Links
Tropical Flowering Trees Fact Sheets
Small Tree Fact Sheets
Jacaranda Fact Sheet
Native Plants Fact Sheets
Shavingbrush Tree Power Point
Intense Blooming Days Power Point
The Effects of Temperatures on the Flowering of 5 Ornamental Trees
Red Silk-Cotton YouTube
This fact sheet was reviewed by Peggy Cruz, Lee County Extension; Celia Hill, Lee County Extension;
Karen Headlee, Lee County Extension; Tom Hecker, EcoBotanics Designs, Inc., Naples, Florida
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, religion, age, disability,
sex, sexual orientation, martial status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension
Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M.. 8/2012.