Cecropia Species, Silver Cecropia

This is a tree remotely related to the Fig Tree family. It's native from brazilian rain forests, specially on places where the vegetation...Read More was recently burned or removed - it's one of the first plants to show up in damaged florestal areas.

This is a fast growing, medium sized tree, reaching up to 10-12m, normally less. The trunk is single and will branch only about 4-5 meters from the soil. The branches per se are single, rarely launching new ramifications. Back to the trunk, it looks like a bamboo at first sight, with fissures between the nodes where red ants eventually move in. These ants are good for the plant, since they defend it from predators - including YOU if you are not careful when handling this plant.

The leaves are large, palmate. This species has a thick indument on the superior page, making the leaves look silver, which is the main atractiveness for this plant. This uncommon color makes Silver Cecropia easy to identify even if it's in the middle of the forest from kilometers of distance. The base of the petiole contains a special gland that feed the ants with a proteic compound

The flowers are insignificant, coming from long inflorescences on the top of the tree. The fruits are red, small, forming a single long structure that atracts many kinds of animals. The seeds are small and will be everywhere. Given the right conditions, new plants will show up everywhere.

Remember: keep it warm all the year (do not worry, it lives on mountains, so it tolerates a bit of cold - not frost, though), on organic soil, regular waterings, full sun.