Kapok tree is an important source of honey and is also suitable for soil erosion control and watershed protection. In agroforestry, it has been grown to supply shade for coffee and cacao, whilst in Java it is used as a support for pepper plants.
Kapok tree or Ceiba pentandra is a tall, deciduous tree bearing short, sharp prickles all along the trunk and branches; supported by pronounced buttresses at the base. It has a light crown and is leafless for a long period.
It has a straight, cylindrical shaft of 20 m height and up to 2 m diameter. The leaf is glabrous and digitate, being composed of 5, 7 or 9 leaflets. Leaves are alternate with slender green petioles. There are usually 5 leaflets in a mature form.
Kapok tree can be found in various types of moist evergreen and deciduous forests, as well as in dry forests and gallery forests. As a pioneer species, it mostly occurs in secondary forests.
A very important, multipurpose tree with a wide range of uses for the local population. It is especially valued for its fiber, but also supplies foods, medicines and many commodities. The tree is widely cultivated and semi-cultivated throughout the Tropics for medicines and fiber.
Kapok tree
