Cecropia obtusifolia is a fast-growing, open-branched tree in the nettle family, native to wet tropical lowlands from Mexico to Ecuador. It is grown mainly as an ornamental or shade tree in warm climates, and it can be invasive in places like Hawaii.
Family
Urticaceae (Nettle family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water regularly while establishing, then let the top of the soil dry slightly between waterings.
Soil
Well-drained, fertile soil or a rich loamy mix.
Temperature
18–35 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Easy
Native range
Mexico to Ecuador
Climate
wet tropical
About
Cecropia obtusifolia is a species of plant in the family Urticaceae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico and Panama. Common Names include blunt-leaved trumpet tree, pop-a-gun, tree-of-laziness, and snakewood tree. In Central America it is known as Guarumo. Though impressive silhouetted against the sky, it is an invasive species in the islands of Hawaii.
Cecropia obtusifolia is used in traditional Amerindian medicine. Many other species of the genus Cecropia share the folk reputation of curing heart failure, cough, asthma and bronchitis. Cecropia obtusifolia has vasorelaxant activity due possibly to inhibition of angiotensin.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cecropia obtusifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.