The Magnificient Kapok Tree

This is a sky view of our kapok tree (bottom right).  In Southeast Asia, the kapok tree is cultivated for its silk cotton fibres called 'kekabu' which are harvested and used to stuff pillows and mattresses. This tree grows to 100 ft tall and is a small version of the Giant Ceiba tree of the Amazon Rainforest which can grow up to a height of 230 ft tall.

The branches are spread out horizontally and when you look up, its crown looks like an opened umbrella against the clear blue sky.

In Malaysia, we can find a lot of them in countryside and villages in Perak. I hope that people will learn to care for the trees. The least they can do is not to cut them down when the trees obstruct their view.

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