Cecropia obtusifolia aka the Trumpet Tree

[randomq]

Is anyone familiar with Cecropia obtusifolia?

These are the trees with the long straight ringed trunk (like a papaya tree, and with hollow sections on the inside like bamboo) and little twisty limbs at the top holding up stalks with 10-15 giant lobed leaves in a circle. The leaves and stalks tend to fall off when it's windy, littering roofs and yards.

I think these are considered a junk invasive tree in Hawaii, though they have medicinal properties related to pain relief and blood pressure.

What are the properties of the wood? I know it's a soft wood, but if properly dried and sealed/painted will it hold up? And is it a decent wood to burn in a fire pit without releasing anything noxious?

So far I've only used it to build structures like raised beds that I expect to rot away eventually.

Thanks!

[Or1on]

Don't know about long term uses of the wood but from what I've learned in cutting them down, they're hollow in the branches and trunks.  I doubt they're of much use structurally.  In South America the natives use the leaves as sandpaper.

[My 2 cents]

I challenge you to build a fire with it using nothing else. It doesn't burn. You can get it to burn if it is very dry and you add it to a fire that was made of other wood. Don't add too much though or you will put the fire out. Seriously.

I figured the fire retardant qualities should make it useful for something but I've never taken it to the next step.

[terracore]

The goats love eating the leaves. The trees are nearly impossible to kill. We cut them down to feed to goats and virtually overnight where the cut was there are now TWO trunks growing out of it.

The wife has a weird allergic reaction to the sap. If the sap touches her it looks and feels like something hot scalded her.

[kalianna]

I did't know the botanical name but it's the ole familiar umbrella tree. I can't stand them. I'm constantly picking up leaves from our neighbor's tree that overhangs our yard. They took down a giant one using the same method as killing albizias. Good riddance.

[randomq]

Interesting, thanks Punaweb ohana. I was hopeful it had some redeeming qualities before I chopped it down. The medicinal uses are interesting, but it doesn't sound like I'll be burning any. Will probably stick to using them for miscellaneous short term garden projects. Maybe a Teepee!