WORLD TREE

By Botanica Wichita | July 16, 2025

Ceiba sp. (Malvaceae)
Location: Peru

Ceiba is a genus of trees growing throughout the tropical
Americas. They usually exceed 30 m (100 ft) in height. In preColombian Central America, the Mayan civilization revered the
Ceiba as the ‘World Tree’: the roots existing in the underworld,
the trunk in our middle world, and the branches reaching
towards or supporting the upper world. The mature Ceiba tree is
an impressive sight, with its enormous buttress roots extending
many feet up and out from the smooth, straight trunk. Ceiba
trees are commonly found growing at the center of Mayan
villages throughout Central America.

Posted in Seeds