How the Cecropia Tree Grows
By: Jake Vander Ploeg
The Cecropia tree is a fast grower in the rain forest. In fact it is the fastest grower in the rain forest.The cecropia can grow 6 feet each year.The cecropia tree can grow in the understory and canopy. The cecropia tree can live in the understory and canopy to 30 to 80 years.When the rain forest gets cut down the cecropia tree fills in the spaces and provides shade for the forest floor for young roots and baby trees. The Cecropia tree has ants called aztec ants. Some of the cecropia trees grow in so high altitudes where aztec ants don't live and the cecropia tree can't live as long. The cecropia trees either grows in sunny places or where it floods. The Cecropia tree can grow over 1,000,000 seeds. The seeds are scattered by birds at day and fruit bats at night. When the cecropia tree dies other trees take its place. Sometimes fire, falling trees or clear cutting will open part of the rain forest allowing the hot sun to reach the ground.Cecropia trees really like the sunlight and they like high tempertures and are able to take advantage of the sunlight.
