Ceiba pentandra commonly called Kapok tree in Asia and Silk Cotton tree in the Caribbean originated from the American tropics, Asia and Africa
Silk Cotton trees can be found in many Caribbean countries and here in Guyana too. However, it was never commercially important to the Caribbean as it was most feared.
The Silk Cotton tree is a large deciduous tree. It can grow to a height of 80ft to almost 100ft with wide spreading branches that often form a crown and a huge trunk of more than 9ft in diameter making it one of the largest trees in the American tropics. The leaves are compound with 5-6 lance-shaped leaflets that are approximately 3 – 9 inches long.
From December to February the tree produces numerous five-part whitish to pink flowers which occur in
