Kapok, White silk cotton tree
Ceiba pentandra

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

A very large tree with a straight trunk and height of 30-40 m. Trees can be 60 m high and the trunk 8 m around. It has large prickly buttresses near the base. The branches come out horizontally and there is a ring of them around the trunk. The leaves are compound. The leaflets spread out like fingers on a hand, with 5-8 leaflets. They are 5-18 cm long by 2-4.5 cm wide. The leaf stalk is 7-20 cm long. The leaves all fall off the tree (deciduous). Flowers are yellowish white, in clusters near the ends of branches. These hang downwards. A long seed capsule hangs from branches. It is 10-30 cm long. It splits into 5 valves. The seeds are embedded in white or grey kapok.

There are 4-15 Ceiba species. (The fibres of the pods are used for pillows.) The seeds contain linoleic acid. Also put in the family Bombacaceae. In the subfamily Bombacoideae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. Mostly in the lowlands and up to about 1000 m. It suits rainforest areas with a heavy rainfall. It suits humid locations. The soil needs to be well drained. It can grow in seasonally flooded forests. The tree is easily damaged by strong winds. It needs a temperature of 25°-30°C and not below 15°C. It is light demanding. It suits hardiness zones 11-12. In XTBG Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andamans, Antigua and Barbuda, Asia, Australia, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caribbean, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, China, Colombia, Congo DR, Congo R, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mariana Islands, Marquesas, Martinique, Mexico, Micronesia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, North America, Pacific, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rotuma, Rwanda, Sahel, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, Wallis & Futuna, West Africa, West Indies, West Timor, Yap, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The young pods can be eaten cooked. The young leaves can be eaten cooked. The seeds can be eaten either roasted fresh, or after sprouting. They are also added to soups. The young flowers can be eaten. They are blanched before eating. The resin from the trunk is put in water and drunk. CAUTION Older pods and leaves have medicinal uses. Large quantities of seeds can upset the digestion.

It is a cultivated plant.

Edible parts

Seeds, leaves, calyces, flowers, vegetable, fruit, oil

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. Seeds germinate quickly and seedlings can be transplanted. It can be easily grown from large cuttings. Plants can be budded.

It is a fast growing tree. Pods are produced seasonally.

Its other names

Local names

Agougou, Ai-lele, Am-polon, Araba, Atagodon, Banan, Banda, Bantahi, Bantam-o, Bantan, Bantango, Bantanhe, Bategehi, Benteng, Bili buraga, Breque, Buraga, Bu sana, Busana, Cob-be, Egnan, Elevam, Ferenji tuti, Fromager, Gbanda, Gon ta, Gunga, Hattian, Hazomorengy, Ilavu, Ilavum, Ilivam, Kabu kabes, Kabu-kabu, Kafamba, Kapoaka, Kapok-kapok, Katan, Kifampa, Kor, Kotin-tri, Koulbana, Kuci, Le-moh-pin, Lewah, M'bath, Marga, Mengkapas, Metchene, Mfuma, Msufi, Mukomu, Mullilavu, Mutunda, Myali, N'tene, Ngiu noi, Ngukho, Nguwei, Nninye, Nun, Okha, Pandhari, Panji, Pentene, Pentia, Pohon kapuk randu, Poilao, Poilon, Polom, Polon-de, Poor, Psahe, Pthae, Rimi, Rumbum, Rymy, Safed simal, Salmali, Schwetsimul, Semar, Sveta salmali, Tatafu, Tella buraga, Thinbaw-letpan, Tixoxante, Untepe, Usufu, Vauvau ni vavalangi, Vavae, Won

Synonyms

Bombax cumanense Kunth; Bombax guineense Schum. & Thonn.; Bombax guineensis Schumach.; Bobax inerme L.; Bombax mompoxense Kunth; Bombax orientale Spreng.; Bombax pentandrum L.; Bombax pentandrum Jacq.; Ceiba anfractuosa (DC.) M. Gomez; Ceiba caribaea (DC.) A. Chev.; Ceiba casearia Medik.; Ceiba guineensis (Thonn.) A. Chev.; Ceiba occidentalis (Spreng.) Burkill; Ceiba pentandra var. (several); Eriodendron anfractuosum DC.; Eriodendron anfractuosum var. indicum DC.; Eriodendron caribaeum G. Don; Eriodendron guineense G. Don. & Thonn.; Eriodendron occidentale (Spreng.) G. Don; Eriodendron orientale Kostel; Eriodendron pentandrum (L.) Kurz; Gossampinus alba Buch.-Ham.; Gossampinus rumphii Schott & Endl.; Xylon pentandrum Kuntze;