Accession Count: 1
Common Name:
kapok
Family Name:
Malvaceae
Botanical Name:
Ceiba aesculifolia
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
The bark of C. aesculifolia is thick, gray, and studded with conical "thorns," which with age grow to be pyramidal lumps up to an inch in height. Leaves are palmately compound, with approximately 7 leaflets, which can reach to 4 inches long. The tree flowers in late May. Flowers are roughly 3 inches in length with five white to pale pink petals. They are fuzzy inside and covered with golden hairs on the outside. The fruits are football-shaped capsules, up to 9 inches in length, that hang on the branches long after leaves have fallen. During the dry winter season, they dehisce, popping open with an audible noise and scattering seeds covered with a white cotton-like substance to the wind.
Compound:
Cei acu
Geographic Origin:
Mexican Tropics
Ecozone Origin:
Neotropic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Because this tree is bat-pollinated, flowers open on warm evenings then collapse with the light of day.
==============================Natural History of the UA Campus Arboretum Specimen:
Accession # : 2476 was recognized as a university Heritage Tree in 2002 as the only individual of its species on campus. This tree is located on the southwest corner of the Math building enjoying extra warm temperatures. With impressive trunk extrusions resembling (but not related to) rose thorns, silk cotton tree is also known for its impressive flowers. These appear in late May, and have long fringe-like stamens. This specimen was planted by Warren Jones in 1979, with help from Chuck Raetzman of Facilities Management.
Warren Jones is responsible for having gathered the seeds for this particular Kapok tree. He remembers collecting them on a trip through southern Sonora. The seeds were germinated at the Campus Ag Center greenhouses and the tree was installed in the late 1970s.
Cultivation Notes:
Ethnobotany:
Prior to the development of polyester, life jackets were made of kapok- the natural cotton-like fiber packed into the fruits of the Kapok tree. Kapok also was used to make the cores of softballs, badminton birdies, and pillows. The following information comes from Richard Felger’s research regarding Ceiba use in Mexico: The Guarijíío Mayo and Yaqui harvested the tender tuberous roots from young saplings or trees generally as an emergency food; roots of larger trees are also edible but more fibrous and less desirable. The tuberous roots are peeled and eaten fresh or roasted. As emergency liquid one would just suck on the root. The Yaqui relied on this plant for food and liquid during the Yaqui–Meican wars. The seeds are oily and edible with a butter-like endosperm and a nut-like flavor; they are usually roasted and ground. The seeds have been used by the Yaqui for allergies. The fluffy kapok serves as stuffing for pillows. The wood is sometimes used for tomato crates and pallets cots and occasionally as house beams if protected from the rain. (2)
Height:
20 - 50 feet
Width:
20 - 50 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
ForeSummer
Color:
White
Function:
Shade
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Semi-hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
1. "Pochote (Ceiba Aesculifolia) - Information on Pochote - Encyclopedia of Life."
Encyclopedia of Life.
2. Felger, Richard Stephen., Matthew Brian. Johnson, and Michael Francis. Wilson. The Trees of Sonora, Mexico. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2001. 86. Print.
