Malvaceae

Kapok

Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn.

Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Ceiba

Pets and kids

CatsNot sure
DogsNot sure
KidsNot sure

Why

Cats: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Dogs: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.

Kids: Not sure

We found no reliable source on this plant for young children, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with a doctor or poison control.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

Kapok (Ceiba pentandra) — LeavesPhoto: Sylvain Montagner, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (68)

Afrikaans: Kapokboom
Arabic: قابوق خماسي الأسدية, كابوك
arz: قابوق خماسى الاسديه
ban: Kapuk
Bangla: সাদা শিমুল, শ্বেত শিমুল
Basque: Kapok
bik: Kayo
Burmese: လဲပင်
Catalan: Capoquer, Capoc, Kapok, Pal sant
Chinese: 吉貝, 吉贝, 爪哇木棉, 美洲木棉
Czech: Kapok
dag: Guŋa
Danish: Kapoktræ
din: Rum
Dutch: Kapokboom, Kankantri, Zijdekapokboom
English: Kapok, Kapoktree, Java cotton, Java kapok, Kapok tree, Samauma, Silk-cotton
Esperanto: Kapok-arbo, Kapoka arbo, Kapokarbo
Filipino: Bulak, Buboy, Bulak kahoy, Bulak-kahoy, Bulakan, Cotton tree, Cotton wool, Kapok
Finnish: Amazoninkapokkipuu, Kapokkipuu, Kuitukapokkipuu
French: Arbre à kapok, Bois coton, Fromager, Kapokier
German: Kapokbaum, Wollbaum
Greek: Καπόκ, Βαμβάκι της Ιάβας, Καπόκ της Ιάβας, Μεταξωβάμβακο, Σήμπα, Σαμάουμα
Haitian Creole: Mapou
Hausa: Rimi
hif: Kapok
Hindi: सेमर
Hungarian: Gyapotfa, Kapokfa, Mafumeira
iba: Kapuk
Indonesian: Kapuk randu, Kapok, Kapok randu, Kapuk, Pohon Kapok
Irish: Crann síoda cadáis, Capac, Capóc
Italian: Albero del kapok, Capoc, Capok, Kapok
Japanese: カポック, パンヤノキ
Javanese: Kapuk, Kapok, Kapuk randhu, Randhu
Kannada: ಊರು ಹತ್ತಿಮರ
kcg: A̱kum, A̱kwon a̱la̱kum
Korean: 양목면
Latvian: Kapokkoks, Kapoka koks, Kapoks
Lingala: Buma
Lithuanian: Tikrasis kapokmedis, Kapokas
mad: Kapo
Malagasy: Kapôka
Malay: Kekabu, Kabu-kabu, Kapok, Randu
Malayalam: പഞ്ഞിമരം, കപോക്കുമരം, കപോക്ക്, നകുലി, പഞ്ഞീലവ്, മുള്ളില്ലാപ്പൂള, ശീമപ്പൂള, സീബപ്പരുത്തി
nah: Pōchōtl, Pochotl
nan: Jiáu-oa ka-pòa-chhiū
Norwegian Bokmål: Silkebomullstre, Kapoktre
Occitan: Kapok
pap: Palu di kapòk
Persian: کاپوک
Polish: Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy, Drzewo kapokowe
Portuguese: Mafumeira, Samaúma, Sumaúma
Quechua: Lupuna
Russian: Хлопковое дерево, Капок
sg: Kupu
shn: တူၼ်ႈၼုၼ်ႈ, တူၼ်ႈမၢၵ်ႇၼုၼ်ႈ
Slovenian: Kapokovec
srn: Kankantri
Sundanese: Randu, Kapuk, Kapuk randu
Swedish: Kapok, Kapock
Tamil: இலவம் பஞ்சு மரம், இலவம்பஞ்சு மரம்
Telugu: తెల్లబూరుగ
Thai: นุ่น
Tongan: Vavae, Gossypium barbadense, Gossypium hirsutum
Turkish: Kapok
Ukrainian: Бавовняне дерево, Капок, Сейба п'ятитичинкова
Vietnamese: Bông gòn, Cây bông gòn
Wolof: Benteñe
wuu: 吉贝

Synonyms

Bombax cumanense Kunth
Bombax guineense Schum. & Thonn.
Bombax guineensis Schumach.
Bombax inerme L.
Bombax mompoxense Kunth
Bombax occidentale Spreng.
Bombax orientale Spreng.
Bombax pentandrum L.
Bombax pentandrum Jacq.
Bombax plumosum Noronha
Ceiba anfractuosa (DC.) M.Gómez
Ceiba caribaea (DC.) A.Chev.
Ceiba casearia Medik.
Ceiba guineensis (Schumach.) A.Chev.
Ceiba guineensis var. ampla A.Chev.
Ceiba guineensis var. clausa A.Chev.
Ceiba occidentalis (Spreng.) Burkill
Ceiba pentandra f. albolana Ulbr.
Ceiba pentandra f. grisea Ulbr.
Ceiba pentandra var. caribaea (DC.) Bakh.
Ceiba pentandra var. clausa Ulbr.
Ceiba pentandra var. dehiscens Ulbr.
Ceiba pentandra var. indica Bakh.
Ceiba thonnerii A.Chev.
Ceiba thonningii A.Chev.
Eriodendron anfractuosum DC.
Eriodendron anfractuosum var. africanum DC.
Eriodendron anfractuosum var. caribaeum DC.
Eriodendron anfractuosum var. guianense Sagot
Eriodendron anfractuosum var. indicum DC.
Eriodendron caribaeum (DC.) G.Don
Eriodendron caribaeum G.Don ex Loud.
Eriodendron guineense G.Don
Eriodendron occidentale (Spreng.) G.Don
Eriodendron orientale Kostel.
Eriodendron pentandrum (L.) Kurz
Gossampinus alba Buch.-Ham.
Gossampinus rumphii Schott & Endl.
Xylon pentandrum (L.) Kuntze

Flowers

Flower colour: white (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Shrub, Tree
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: native, U.S. Virgin Islands: native

Photos

LeavesPhoto: Sylvain Montagner, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Burkhard Mücke, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Jared Shorma, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: J.M.Garg, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Nadine Castel, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Roberto Carreño, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Manuel Ortiz, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Monika Drabik, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: Daniel Pineda Vera, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Ceiba

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.