A Giant Fell in Puriscal

Kapok tree trunk.

A big change happened on the property last rainy season. The giant kapok (ceiba) tree near the trail to the spring, snapped and fell into the river below. It was situated on the riverbank’s edge and over the years, erosion from the river left half of its roots exposed. I had always wondered how long it could hold on. At times during the last rainy season the river was the largest I have ever seen it. Because of the compromising location of the tree, I thought if it was to go it would uproot and fall over, but it snapped near the base.

Kapok tree trunk with view of the tree laying across the river.

This was a tree I intentionally greeted every time I passed it. It was impressively large. I have taken many photos and written several blogs about it over the years. I witnessed it flowering at least two times. My favorite memory of this tree was when I happened to get a photo of a wind burst that dispersed the seed fluff. You can see that story and others here: Kapok Stories