Wellington Estates Flower

Nylon was the first manufactured fiber sold commercially. In 1939 it was introduced in the form of stockings. Now fifty years later, manufactured fibers account for over half of the textile products produced in the United States. With this being said and the ever growing knowledge of over processed fibers, people are looking for organic resources to take the place of these products. Kapok is just one of the few.

The Kapok tree is also known as the Ceiba pentandra. It is a tropical tree and is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, North and South America, and is also found in West Africa. Some refer to the tree as the Java tree or Java cotton and it is a symbol of sacred Maya mythology. The cotton like fiber is a great source of organic fibers.

The Kapok tree can reach heights of up to 200 feet. This tree towers over other rainforest vegetation and can grow as much as 13 feet per year. The trunk can expand 10 feet in diameter and the large branches are densely crowded with huge thorns. The leaves are a palmate and compound. Being deciduous, the tree sheds all its leaves during the dry seasons. The tree usually flowers before the leaves appear. The flowers are creamy white or pink in color and excrete a powerful, unpleasant smell.

The smell attracts bats which are the main source of pollination. There are many animals that live and thrive within this tree. Birds nest in it, frog's breed in the pools of water collected in the bromeliads and many mammals use the branches for easier transportation. There are also many plants that inhabit and thrive on this tree.

Mature trees can produce several hundred seed pods. The pods contain seeds that are surrounded by a yellow, fluffy fiber. This fiber is a mix of lignin and cellulose. The seeds are brown in color and round like a pea. They are surrounded in a pod which is light green, woody and has a smooth surface. After the leaves have fallen, the pod will burst open and the cotton like fiber appears. The seeds remain in the tree and will migrate through the stagnant air with the wind. Animals also help with the migration of the seeds by eating them and letting nature take its course. Because of the effortless migration of the seeds, it is one of the first to colonize open areas of the rainforests.

Kapok is used in many different ways. The seeds, resin, bark and leaves have been used to help cure many illnesses and diseases. The trunk is used to make canoes, and the white fluffy seed covering is used in pillows and mattresses. It supports many types of animals and plant life and is believed to be very sacred. While there is not much talk about the statues of the kapok tree, its timber is of elegance and demand. This is a great form of organic bedding which is also becoming more in demand. It is one of the few natural resources available today, and we must do our part to protect it.

Tamberli Woolsey is the owner of and she knows the importance of keeping friends and families healthy through the use of organic products like . For any questions always feel free to contact her.