Cecropia, Trumpet Tree

The cecropia (see-CROW-pee-uh) tree, with its giant hand-like leaves up to 20″ across, is one of the more recognizable tropical trees in the Better in Belize Eco Village. The locals call it guarumo (gwah-ROO-mo) or trumpet tree. It is an important pioneer tree species in the rainforest, being one of the first trees to sprout up after a fire or where the earth is disturbed.

The seeds remain viable for as long as five years, only germinating when exposed to direct sunlight. Since a single cecropia can produce more than a million seeds in a season, it is also a major food tree for fruit eaters: aracaris, toucans and other birds, fruit bats, opossums and monkeys who chow down on the fruit, sometimes called “snake fingers,” although I’ve never seen our howlers or spider monkeys dining there.

Reaching 50′- 80′ in height, the cecropia is in hollow sections much like bamboo. Tiny ferocious Azteca ants live within these sections, swarming out to protect the tree if it is attacked by herbivores or raiding leaf-cutter ants. The tree actually produces tiny packets of “food” to attract and feed the Azteca ants so that they will colonize it and stay. 

The trumpet tree is one of our many medicinal plants at BIB. Leaf poultices are used on inflammation; a tea of the leaves treats respiratory infections: and some people use the leaves as a substitute for tobacco, as it is said to have an effect similar to tobacco (!?). The hollow sections are supposed to make nifty musical instruments, too.  

Trumpet trees are picturesque, fast-growing, medicinal, fascinating – what’s not to like? Well, they’re very short-lived, and can’t be used for much because they rot quickly into little more than paper tubes. And they cast their huge, long-stemmed leaves like curled fists onto the the ground regularly. Still, it’s one of my favorite trees. If you get a chance to observe one sprouting from a seedling, watch the beautiful formation, colors and growth of the leaves as they thrust up from the stem as fast as Jack’s Beanstalk. It’s quite a show.