Kapok -- The "Cucumber Tree"

Before World War II, Guam farmers were encouraged to grow kapok. Farmland leased from the Naval Government of Guam was required to have kapok trees planted on it.

In 1933, under Governor George A. Alexander's administration, a seeding and cleaning machine was brought to Guam from the U.S. Mainland. The government cleaned the kapok at no charge to those who brought it in. The government also helped with arrangements for buying and exporting the processed fibers.

The war decimated the island's kapok industry, and the subsequent development of synthetic fibers lessened world interest in kapok production. The trees now grow in untended clumps around Guam and many other islands in the Pacific.

Although a kapok tree's bark first appears to be smooth, on closer inspection you will notice that the grayish surface is dotted with small spines. On some of the subvarieties of the trees, the spines are large enough to make one thinking of climbing the tree to give it a second thought!

The larger trees develop buttressing roots--large supporting panels that help keep the tree stable in strong winds.

The trees generally flower when they have leaves. The flowers are clustered at the tips of branchlets, are cream-white or pale pink, and have five petals about 2.5 centimeters long. After the flowers have been pollenated by flying insects and fruitbats, they develop into the "cucumber" fruit as the leaves begin to fall from the tree.