Panama Tree
Sterculia apetala
- Native to:
- Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panamá, Peru, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuelan Antilles
Dr. Ariel Rodríguez-Vargas
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Malvaceae
- Genus:
- Sterculia
- Species:
- Sterculia apetala
- USDA Symbol:
- STAP
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 3500 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jan,feb,mar,apr
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow, cream
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, bats, small mammals
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Thrives in tropical and subtropical regions
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily when fresh without pretreatment. Viability decreases rapidly with storage.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI