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Ceodes umbellifera
Also called Birdcatcher Tree, Umbrella Catchbirdtree, Pāpala Kēpau
Ceodes umbellifera (birdlime or birdcatcher tree) is an evergreen tree or shrub from tropical Asia and the Pacific, grown mainly for its shade and interest. Its sticky fruit traps birds and insects, so it is best kept away from wildlife and people who handle the fruit.
Ceodes umbellifera, synonym Pisonia umbellifera, commonly known as the birdlime tree or bird catcher tree, is a species of plant in the Nyctaginaceae family. The evergreen shrub has soft wood, small pink or yellow flowers, and produces cavate brown fruit throughout the period March to April. The species has been categorized under different genera in its documented lifetime, being reallocated between Pisonia and Ceodes. Its former genus, Pisonia, is named after a Dutch scientist, Willem Piso, and umbellifera is derived from Latin umbelliferum, denoting the species' big, 'shade-carrying' foliage.
The tree's fruit often trap insects, small mammals and birds. This is because the sticky sap of the fruit sticks to the skin, fur or feathers of the animal and renders it immovable.
The fruit of Ceodes umbellifera exude a sticky sap, which often sticks to wildlife passing by the tree. Small animals, such as birds, reptiles and insects are often trapped in the substance and starve to death.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ceodes umbellifera 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.
