The ceibo tree is very beautiful and attracts attention for its beautiful red flowers in a bush of intense green leaves. But beyond its aesthetic appeal, to decorate the city landscapes or to provide us with an interesting shelter for sunny days, thanks to the fact that it is a short but leafy tree, it is also a spectacular specimen that is interesting for its uses and utilities, which are many. In this article we want to explain to you everything that can be used from Ceibo.
It does not reach more than 12 meters in height but it is a very large tree in virtues. It is not one of the smallest but neither is it one of the largest and tallest specimens, although it grows quickly. They are very common in parks for their beauty and their shade.
Now, we could link the ceibo with the pig if it were a livestock animal, because just as happens with the former, since they even like the pig's gait, everything is used from the ceibo, from the bark to the leaves, flowers and seeds and, of course, its admirable appeal as a decorative specimen.
As an extra note, add that the ceibo is the National flower of Buenos Aires, it doesn't hurt to remember this detail either.
The uses of ceibo in medicine
El kapok It is known in medicine because substances with psychotropic and analgesic properties. There are many reasons why kapok is important in the scientific and health field and knowledge about these effects has been known since ancient times.
For example, it works like antitussiveas anti-dandruff and healing. We can dismember the ceibo to take advantage of each of its parts. So, from its leaves we can prepare baths for clean wounds and sores, preventing them from becoming infected and reducing the inflammation of badly injured skin. It is said that it even helps stop bleeding, so it should be taken into account as a good natural remedy to treat wounds. Did you get a cut? To prevent it from getting infected and heal quickly, wash the cut with a ceibo infusion that works as a astringent to cut off blood and prevent infections, accelerating healing.
Infusions against anxiety with ceibo
People with anxiety and nervousness have long found an ally in the ceibo for the preparation of infusions thanks to its narcotic and sedative properties. This infusion is prepared with the bark of the ceibo tree. It is even very beneficial as a remedy before going to bed, because it helps you sleep peacefully.
Another use that ceibo bark has, also in medicine, is to prepare infusions against throat conditions, to take advantage of its powers astringents and antivirals. And we can tell you the same if what you have been suffering from for some time is rheumatism. Maybe you should try the ceibo bark tea against rheumatism.
It is not so strange, if we take into account that ceibo has been used in cooking, to add it to salads. You could start doing it yourself, imitating the ancient Jesuit monks, who prepared healthy salads with their flowers.
Other uses of ceibo
Apart from medicine, ceibo can be used in multiple other ways and in many other areas. For example, to dye fabric or to take advantage of its wood.
Dye fabrics with ceibo
The beautiful ceibo flowers decorate the streets, parks and public gardens but their beautiful and intense colors can also be used in the textile industry to dye fabrics Natural way. But be careful that it not only gives you red tones, but you can get black, pink, violet and green colors as well.
Apart from the fabric, the wool can also be dyed using ceibo and its pigments to give it color and thus be able to make garments with it.
Take advantage of ceibo wood
If we can extract interesting substances from this tree for the medical sector and also for the textile and color industries, the carpentry sector is not far behind, because quality wood is obtained from this species.
The qualities that stand out the most ceibo wood are its porosity and its lightness, because it is a porous and very light wood ideal for working on it with multiple finishes. But be careful that this wood is not only useful for making furniture and other common elements, but its use goes further, even covering the orthopedic sector.
Ceibo wood can be used to make orthopedic devices, canoes, saddle frames and even percussion musical instruments, such as, among others, bass drums and snares.
Other interesting facts about ceibo
We mentioned before that the ceibo is the national flower of Buenos Aires. But there is a nice legend about it. It is said that on the banks of the Paraná, there lived a young Indian woman. Her name was Anahí. A lover of nature, the good and romantic young woman sang songs inspired by her gods, to encourage her people.
One day, the invaders arrived, white-skinned Spaniards who wanted to wipe out the tribes and captured the girl. As the days went by, she was locked up, crying and suffering for wanting to get out, until one day, her guardian fell asleep and she achieved her goal. She ran away from her. But her escape did not go well, because the watchman woke up from her and she had no other defense than to stab him in her chest.
Finally, they managed to capture her again and imposed death at the stake as punishment. They tied her to a tree and lit the fire, but it seemed as if the flames did not want to reach her and as if the tree was protecting her. As the fire rose and rose, the girl remained blended with the tree, becoming part of it.
The next day, the soldiers found an astonishing miracle: the girl's body was gone, nor was there any sign of the fire. There was only one beautiful tree, with green leaves of a super intense color and red flowers of incredible beauty.
Since then, that tree, the ceibo, has been a symbol of courage and strength for the country.
And along with this beautiful popular story, we say goodbye to this article having explained everything that can be used from ceibo. Because it is a tree, like the story of the young Indian girl Anahí, worth knowing.