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trumpet tree

Cecropia pachystachya Trécul

Family: Urticaceae · Genus: Cecropia

Cecropia

Placenta II Medium Mulch biomass 🪓 Coppices after cutting
João Medeiros · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons

Fast-growing, short-lived (~20 years) pioneer tree that colonizes edges and gaps in all Brazilian biomes. Fruits eaten by birds and primates; symbiotic with Azteca ants.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Placenta II
Ecological role
Pioneer
Primary stratum
Medium
Strata
Medium
Biomass class
Mulch biomass

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Waterlogging tolerance
Moderate
Preferred soil texture
Clayey, Loamy

Morphology

Mature height
4–15 m
Growth rate
Very fast
Lifespan
≤ 25 years

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Trumpet tree takes the Medium stratum in the Placenta II phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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Emergent High Medium · ≈15 m Low Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Heliophilous pioneer of fertile, moist soils, typical of riverbanks, marshes and floodable areas — tolerates moist clay soils and periodic waterlogging. Very fast-growing and short-lived. Propagated solely by seed (over 1 million seeds per kg). Its hollow, straight trunk houses symbiotic Azteca ants.

📅 Phenology

Flowering months: September, October

Fruiting months: May, June

❓ Frequently asked questions

How tall does trumpet tree grow?

At maturity, trumpet tree reaches 4–15 m tall.

When does trumpet tree fruit?

Fruiting of trumpet tree occurs in May, June.

When does trumpet tree flower?

Flowering of trumpet tree occurs in September, October.

What stage and stratum does trumpet tree occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, trumpet tree belongs to the placenta ii stage, occupying the medium stratum.

Functions

🪴 Nurse plant 🌿 Biomass producer 🍎 Fruit Medicinal

Propagation

Seed

Citations

  1. Embaúba — USP Laboratório de Sistemática de Plantas
  2. Cecropia — Wikipedia
  3. Embaúba — USP Laboratório de Sistemática de Plantas (phenology, propagation, waterlogging_tolerance, cultivation_notes)
  4. Klima Naturali — Embaúba (Cecropia pachystachya) (soil_texture_preference, growth_rate, phenology, cultivation_notes)
  5. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Cecropia pachystachya Trécul (genus, family)

External references

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