Ceiba pentandra

A tropical tree native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and to tropical west Africa, Kapok Tree or Ceiba pentandra is now a widely cultivated in Southeast Asia for its seed fibre. It is fast growing and reaches up to 70 m in height and 3 m in trunk diameter. The trunk is buttressed and large simple thorns, similar to that of on many of the larger branches, are found on it. The crown is thin and pagoda shaped. The leaves are palmate, with 5 to 9 leaflets each. Kapok produces several pods that contain seeds covered by fibre. Kapok fibre is yellowish in colour, light, very buoyant, water resistant, resilient, but very flammable. It is used as stuffing in mattresses, pillows, etc. The seed of kapok yields oil that is used in making soap and as fertilizer. The seed is edible either raw or cooked . Tender leaves, buds, and fruits are eaten like Abelmoschus moschatus or okra. The flowers are blanched and eaten with chilli sauce;dried stamens are added to curries and soups. Bark decoction, on the other hand, is used as a diuretic, aphrodisiac, and as treatment for headache and diabetes. Kapok, in general, is used medicinally for fever, spasms, and bleeding. Different plant parts have a wide range of medicinal functions as well.

Ceiba pentandra is a deciduous Tree growing to 50 m by 30 m at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 10 and is frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Bats, Moths, Bees. The plant is not self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: medium and heavy soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic soils and can grow in very acid, very alkaline and saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant is not wind tolerant.

Industrial Crop: Fiber Industrial Crop: Oil Management: Standard Minor Global Crop
A plant of the moist tropics, where it is found at elevations up to 1,200 metres, though productivity starts to decline above 460 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 17 - 38c, but can tolerate 12 - 40?c. It can be killed by temperatures of -1c or lower. Fruiting can fail if the night temperature falls much below 20c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 2,500mm, but tolerates 750 - 5,700mm, 793. It can tolerate a dry season from 0 - 6 months long. It is believed that the tree originated in central America, but it can now be found pantropically between 16 degrees north and 16 degrees south. Kapok is the tallest native tree growing in Africa. Prefers a sunny position in a fertile, deep, moisture-retentive but well-drained loamy soil. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 5 - 7.5. Prefers a position sheltered from strong winds. A fast-growing tree, the annual increases in height and diameter during the first 10 years are about 120cm and 3 - 4cm respectively. In forest gaps height growth may be 2 metres per year. The tree can begin to bear seeds, and therefore fibre, from the age of 4 - 5 years, with yields increasing up to about 8 years. The economical life of the plants is about 60 years. Leafing and flowering periods are more regular in drier parts of the distribution area;in moister areas, leafing and flowering periods are highly irregular. The flowers open at night and are senescent by midday. They emit a powerful odour and secrete nectar at the base of the large, bisexual flowers. The fruits ripen 80 - 100 days after flowering, the dehiscent types releasing kapok with loosely embedded seeds that are wind-dispersed. A single tree can bear 300 - 400 pods a year, yielding up to 20 kilos of fibre from about the age of 5 for over 50 years. The tree responds well to coppicing. The trees have vigorous rooting systems and are known to cause damage to buildings and roads if planted too close. Cultivated kapok is believed to be a natural hybrid between two varieties respectively native of tropical America and West Africa. The light seeds are widely disseminated and find ideal conditions for germination in abandoned agricultural land.