General Info – Cecropia, Trumpet Tree, Snakewood, Wild Pawpaw, Mexican Bean Tree
Please note that this plant is classified as a weed in Queensland and New South Wales. It grows rapidly and forms dense stands in disturbed areas, wet forest edges, and riparian zones, where it outcompetes native plants and hinders rainforest regeneration. It should not be cultivated in New South Wales and Queensland, and should be handled with caution in other regions where it may be available. For more information, refer to the Weed Risk section of the Disclaimers page. Sometimes known as Gummy Worm Fruit due to their similar appearance, Cecropia fruit are soft, succulent and viscous with a rich, sweet flavour likened variable to a delicious combination of Fig, Honey, Maple Syrup and Grapes (although some have found the flavour insipid or incomplex). Cecropia are slightly crunchy due to the innumerable seeds which form on the outside of fruits, similar to a Strawberry. When ripe, they slide effortlessly off the stem of the fruit. While most commonly eaten fresh they can be preserved through drying or in a jam. Cecropia is native to the tropical regions of the Americas, including southern Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies. However, due to its prolific seeding ability and rapid growth, it has become naturalised and is now considered a weed across much of tropical Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Cecropia thrives in full sun and rarely establishes in undisturbed forest understory. It is, however, a problematic, prolific pioneer species in disturbed areas such as canopy gaps, roadsides, and cleared land. Unusually for most plants, Cecropia is particularly demanding of sunlight during its seedling stage. While it prefers tropical and subtropical climates, it can also tolerate some warm temperate zones, provided they are frost-free. Moist, fertile soil is ideal, though the plant can also succeed in poor or eroded soils. Cecropia is dioecious, with male and female flower clusters occurring on separate plants, and female clusters producing between two and six fruits. Flowering can occur year-round. Cecropia typically grows as a medium-sized tree, reaching heights of 10 to 20 metres. It has smooth, grey bark and distinctive hollow-stemmed branches. The tree features an open crown and a sparse canopy, allowing plenty of sunlight to filter through and fostering a productive understorey. The foliage of Cecropia is highly distinctive and easily recognisable, with large, dark green, multi-lobed leaves that can have 7 to 11 lobes. Belonging to the Urticaceae family—commonly known as the Nettle family—Cecropia shares this family with other cultivated fruit trees such as the Amazon Tree Grape and Native Mulberry. The plant coppices freely after being cut, and cuttings have been known to root from the nodes, making it unsuitable as a long-term control measure.
Hortiforum 