Big trees have always fascinated me ever since I was a kid. I guess all the warnings from my parents not to climb them just made them more appealing because as we all know, we just love to do the things they say we shouldn’t. Other than just fun structures to play on, large trees have always been a place for me to find new creatures and I still remember the first time I discovered a baby tree snake tucked into the flaking bark of an old Saga tree (Adenanthera pavonia) in St. Andrew’s Cathedral.

Now, 15 years later, as a person who deals with heritage trees, I get to work with big trees for a living! As most heritage trees are on the large side, you can imagine the excitement I get from working with them. My favourite of all the heritage trees in Singapore so far has got to be the Kapok Tree (Ceiba pentandra) in the Singapore Botanic Gardens along Lower Ring Road.

The tall, thorn-covered trunk just looms up from the ground and strikes an imposing presence throughout the entire landscape. Ones eyes struggle to capture the full image of the tree while your mind fumbles at trying to comprehend how the tree could grow so large, and most of all, how long it must have taken to attain such sheer volume. The immense buttress roots adds to its aura and their snaking shape looks as if they are trying to hold you in an eternal embrace. This grand, towering tree also produces seed pods that have seeds covered in fluffy fibres that locals once used as pillow stuffing. As hard and strong as the Kapok Tree may look, it is ironic that it produces something so soft and comfortable.

Now the next time you are taking a stroll in the Botanic Gardens, remember to pay this Kapok Tree a visit. And if you are lucky, you might just witness the seed pods ejecting their fluffy seeds!

Joey Gan