The Kapok (Ceiba petandra) is a rainforest giant. It may grow to 150 feet high. This individual is growing
near Ceiba Tops, a tourist resort near Iquitos. Note the person standing at the base of the tree. The
abundance of epiphytes on upper branches and the long roots reaching down from the tree's crown show how
other plants are dependent on these large trees. Kapok is one of the few rainforest trees that are
wind-pollinated. It is widely used to make plywood and trees this large are becoming rare. It is also the
subject of a popular children's book about the rainforest.
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