• All Products Sale
  • Live/Natural Edge Slabs
  • Table Tops New
  • Solid Wood Custom Table Tops
  • Tree Slices
  • Character Wood & Unique Artwood Pieces
  • Lumber
  • Turning Wood
  • Gussets/Brackets
  • Legs & Bases
  • Finished Products
  • Apparel
  • Gift Cards
  • SUPER HOT DEALS!! Hot
  • 40% off sale ~ over 3500 products discounted

  • |          extra 5% off super hot deals!!  use code: SUPERHOT          |

  • + Free Shipping  on any order over $95*

  • Call 515-832-8733 to Chat with a Wood Expert
  • Need Help? Email us at service@thelumbershack.com
  • Register or Sign in
Menu
0
Lumber Shack
Shop by Category
  • All Products Sale
  • Live/Natural Edge Slabs
  • Table Tops New
  • Solid Wood Custom Table Tops
  • Tree Slices
  • Character Wood & Unique Artwood Pieces
  • Lumber
  • Turning Wood
  • Gussets/Brackets
  • Legs & Bases
  • Finished Products
  • Apparel
  • Gift Cards
  • SUPER HOT DEALS!! Hot
    • Compare Products
    • 0
    • All Products Sale
    • Live/Natural Edge Slabs
      • All Live Edge Slabs
      • Bookmatched Wood Slabs
      • Charcuterie Board Slabs
      • Mantel Slabs
      • Taxidermy Mount Slabs
      • Wide Slabs - Over 18"
    • Table Tops New
      • All Table Top Sets and Slabs
      • Solid Wood Table Tops-Custom Sizes
      • Bookmatched Table Top Sets
      • DIY Table Tops Multi Piece Slabs
      • River Table Slabs
    • Tree Slices
      • All Tree Slices
      • Oval Cut Slabs/Wood Slices
      • Tree Slices/Circle Cut Lumber
      • Buy One Like It Tree Slices
    • Character Wood
      • All Character Wood
      • Artwood/Unique Pieces
    • Lumber
    • Finished Wood Products
      • All Finished Wood Products
      • Bars
      • Benches
      • Charcuterie Boards
      • Coffee & End Tables
      • Dining Room Tables
      • Stump Stools
      • End Tables
      • Finished Table Tops
    • Legs & More
      • Wood Legs
        • Back
        • Slab Legs
        • Table Bases
        • Square Legs
        • Turned Legs
      • Gussets/Brackets
      • Turning Wood Blanks
        • Back
        • Pen Blanks
        • Small Log Cuts for Turning Wood
      • Apparel
      • Gift Cards
    • SUPER HOT DEALS!! Hot
    • Menu
    • All Products Sale
    • Live/Natural Edge Slabs
      • Back
      • All Live Edge Slabs
      • Bookmatched Wood Slabs
      • Charcuterie Board Slabs
      • Mantel Slabs
      • Taxidermy Mount Slabs
      • Wide Slabs - Over 18"
    • Table Tops New
      • Back
      • All Table Top Sets and Slabs
      • Solid Wood Table Tops-Custom Sizes
      • Bookmatched Table Top Sets
      • DIY Table Tops Multi Piece Slabs
      • River Table Slabs
    • Tree Slices
      • Back
      • All Tree Slices
      • Oval Cut Slabs/Wood Slices
      • Tree Slices/Circle Cut Lumber
      • Buy One Like It Tree Slices
    • Character Wood
      • Back
      • All Character Wood
      • Artwood/Unique Pieces
    • Lumber
    • Finished Wood Products
      • Back
      • All Finished Wood Products
      • Bars
      • Benches
      • Charcuterie Boards
      • Coffee & End Tables
      • Dining Room Tables
      • Stump Stools
      • End Tables
      • Finished Table Tops
    • Legs & More
      • Back
      • Wood Legs
        • Back
        • Slab Legs
        • Table Bases
        • Square Legs
        • Turned Legs
      • Gussets/Brackets
      • Turning Wood Blanks
        • Back
        • Pen Blanks
        • Small Log Cuts for Turning Wood
      • Apparel
      • Gift Cards
    • SUPER HOT DEALS!! Hot
    • Home
    • News
    • Huge Smelly Tree
    Article

    Huge Smelly Tree

    • News
    • 24 Apr, 2019
    • Posted by: Lumber Shack

    Well, it's been a couple weeks since we (regretfully) arrived home from our vacation, but it's taken us that long to get back on track and caught back up!  In the beginning of February, we loaded the kiddos up and took a week long, fun in the sun cruise to Jamaica, and on our trip we came across an interesting tree that we HAD to share!

    Pictured to the left, you'll see a picture of a humongous tree, called the Kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra).  This tree is also known as the Ceiba or Silk Cotton Tree. It can grow over 130' tall, averaging approximately 10' growth per year.  The Mayans believe this tree is a sacred tree, considering it a "ladder" to the heavens for the souls of family members and friends to climb.

    It has gorgeous five-petaled pink and white flowers, however looks can be decieving.  These flowers have quite the putrid smell, and open in the evening to be pollinated by tropical bats.  These bats pollinate the horizontal branches, where other plants called epiphyte grow.

    The majority of the commercial Kapok trees come from the Island of Java in Indonesia.  There are many unique uses for this tree, ranging from furniture to insulation and to the stuffing in some life jackets. In WWII, the life jackets were referred to as Mae Wests, and used the Kapok tree fibers because they are light weight and waterproof.  The Kapok oil is used in some soaps, and the seeds are edible. This soft wood is used in Africa for canoes, wood carvings and caskets.

    Be sure to look closely to the picture at the right to learn more interesting things about this tree!  Now, if only we could grow it in Iowa...

    Leave a comment

    Comments have to be approved before showing up

    Recent posts
    Blog
    Custom, Affordable Solid Wood Table Tops and Bases
    16 Feb, 2021
    Blog
    Circle Cut Slabs from the Lumber Shack: A Cut Above
    31 Mar, 2019
    Blog
    Beautiful Bookmatched Wood Slabs that Are Affordable
    17 Mar, 2019
    Tags
    • All
    Get notified about our next Super Sale!
    Lumber Shack
    Contact Us for Support 515-832-8733
    Main Office 2203 220th Street Webster City, IA 50595
    The Lumber Shack
    • About Us
    • News Blog
    • Inspiration Gallery
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
    • Employment
    • Selling Your Logs or Slabs
    Customer Care
    • FAQs
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Shipping & Returns
    • Finishing Options Information
    • Gift Cards
    • Custom Table Request
    Resources
    • Live Edge Wood
    • Live Edge Bookmatched Table Top Sets
    • Live Edge Wood River Table Slabs
    • Tree Slices / Oval and Circle Cut Lumber
    • Solid Wood Table Tops / Custom Live Edge Tables
    • Charcuterie Board Slabs
    • Walnut Slabs / Coffee Tables
    • Black Walnut
     
    • Finished Wood Products
    • Fireplace Mantels
    • Taxidermy Slabs
    • Turning Wood Blanks
    • Wood Lumber
    • Wood Species Information
    • Wood Characteristics & Common Defects
    • Furniture
    • Custom

    The Lumber Shack ® | All Rights Reserved. © 2021.

    Product successfully added to your Shopping Cart

    Continue Shopping
    Proceed to Checkout