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Cecropia peltata
Urticaceae FAMILY

Cecropia peltata

Cecropia peltata

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
3/5

Safety & Hazards

The branches and leaf petioles of Cecropia species are often hollow and can harbour stinging ants. The trees attract the ants by means of producing a honey-like sap and the ants respond by working to keep the tree free of leaf-eating pests - which can include humans[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthFast

A plant of moister regions of the tropics, in Puerto Rico it is found at low to medium elevations in areas where the mean annual rainfall can range from 990 - 3,990mm or more[2]. The mean annual temperatures can range from 12 - 24°c[2]. Succeeds in any well-drained soil in a very sunny position or in light shade[3, 4]. Succeeds in poor and eroded soils[5]. The tree has been introduced into many areas outside its native range. The seeds are spread by fruit-eating bats and birds, these germinate freely if in a sunny position and can invade native habitats[6]. It has proved to be invasive in some areas[6]. A fast-growing but short-lived tree, rarely living longer than 20 years[3, 5]. The tree casts only a light shade, allowing other plants to be grown right up to its base[3]. Cecropia trees, actively colonizing a formerly primary forest region after a devastating storm, have been observed to reach 22cm in diameter and 13 metres in height less than 3.5 years after germination[5]. The trees grow rapidly, like weeds, and thrive best in cut-over or abandoned land[7]. Plants grow back quickly if cut[6]. Flowers intermittently all year round[4]. Plants are dioecious, both male and female forms must be grown if seed is required[4].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a sunny seedbed as soon as it is ripe[8]. The seed usually starts to sprout within 25 - 40 days, though germination rates are low[8]. Pot the seedlings up into individual containers when they are 5 - 6cm tall[8]. Greenwood cuttings in a frame[3]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cecropia+peltata>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Raintree Nutrition - Tropical Plant Database — http://www.rain-tree.com/plants.htm ↩︎Detailed information on the medicinal uses of more than two hundred rainforest plants, mainly from S. America, with basic descriptions of the plants, their other uses etc.
  2. [2]Silvics of North America. Agricultural Handbook No. 654. — Burns. R.M. & Honkala. B.H. · USDA Forest Service; Washington DC. · 1990 · http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.htm ↩︎A very comprehensice guide to about 200 species of timber trees of N. America, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Mainly temperate species, plus a number of tropical species. It is downloadable from the Internet.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Tropical and Subtropical Trees - A Worldwide Encyclopaedic Guide. — Barwick. M. · Thames & Hudson, London · 2004 · ISBN 0-500-51181-0 ↩︎A superb book, very concise and well written, giving a wealth of information on 400 or more species including descriptions, habitat, cultivation details and plant uses. A wealth of colour photographs bring each plant vividly to life.
  5. [5]Trees of Costa Rica's Pacific Slope — http://www.cds.ed.cr/teachers/harmon/page1.html ↩︎Information on over 80 species of tree from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
  6. [6]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
  7. [7]Flora of Guatemala — Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark · 1946 - 1976 · http://www.archive.org/ ↩︎A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
  8. [8]Brazilian Trees. Volume 1. 4th Edition. — Lorenzi. H. · Instituto Plantarum De Estudos Da Flora; Brazil. · 2002 · ISBN 85-86714-17-8 ↩︎Information on 350 species of Brazilian trees. Stunning photographs of each species, brief details on the plant, its uses and how to grow it from seed. A superb work, with the minor irritation that the translation from Portuguese is not of the best.
  9. [9]Common Trees of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands — Little E.L.; Wadsworth F.H. · USDA, Forest Service; Washington. · 1964 ↩︎Contains detailed information, and usually an illustration, on 250 tree species, including both native and exotic species.
  10. [10]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  11. [11]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
  12. [12]Medicinal Plants of the Guianas — DeFilipps, R. A.; Maina, S. L.; & Crepin, J. · Smithsonian Museum · http://botany.si.edu/bdg/medicinal/index.html ↩︎A down-loadable PDF document of a book in pre-publication awaiting illustration. An excellent, if rather terse, guide to the traditional medicinal uses of the plants of the region
  13. [13]Useful Fiber Plants of the World — Dodge C.R. · USDA; Washington. · 1897 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
  14. [14]South American Timbers: the Properties, Uses and Characteristics of 190 Species. — Bolza. E. & Christensen. F.J. · Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization · 1979 · ISBN 0 643 02582 0 ↩︎A very useful guide.
  15. [15]Tropical Timbers of the World. Ag. Handbook No. 607. — Chudnoff. Martin. · USDA Forest Service. Wisconsin. · 1984 ↩︎Terse details on the properties of the wood of almost 400 species of trees from the Tropics.
  16. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎