Ceiba of the Viera y Clavijo Cultural Park

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Leisure · Subcategory: Singular trees

This magnificent ceiba specimen ( Ceiba petandra ) is located on one side of the Viera y Clavijo Cultural Park, very close to San Sebastián street, opposite the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium.

The ceiba is a species native to the forests of Central and South America. It belongs to the Bombacaceae family, robust trees but with very light wood. Its cultivation has spread throughout the tropical regions of Asia and Africa. Its fruits are capsules about 15 cm long containing a mass of silky fibres, called "kapok", which is used for various applications: as insulating material, for filling life jackets, in packaging, etc. 

The ceiba of the Viera y Clavijo Park was brought from Cuba and planted in the gardens of what was then the La Asunción girls' school in the 1920s. Today we are faced with a gigantic tree reaching almost 20 metres in height, with a thick trunk almost 4 metres in circumference and a wide base that acts as support. Over the years the huge branches have had to be pruned regularly since those oriented towards San Sebastián street extend beyond the park wall, causing problems for traffic on the road.

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