Kapok Tree

Ceiba pentandra is a tropical tree, commonly called kapok in English, ceiba in Spanish-speaking countries and fromager in French-speaking ones. The cotton-like fluff from its seed pods is also called kapok, and the tree is grown for it, particularly in south-east Asia. It can reach more than 60 metres, with buttress roots and large thorns on the trunk and larger branches. Wikipedia says the ceiba is an important tree in Cuban culture and a sacred tree in Palo, Arará and Santería, where offerings are placed or buried near the trunks, the trees are circled and generally not tampered with out of respect. It adds that among Afro-Surinamese people, particularly followers of the Winti religion, the tree is called Kankantrie and is a holy residence for spirits; cutting it is avoided, and where unavoidable it is often paired with a ritual.