Latin name - Cecropia peltata

Cecropia, also known as “Gummy Worm Fruit” and trumpet tree, is a large tropical tree which looks like something out of Jurassic Park.  It produces a fruit resembling a gummy worm, snake skin, or “dead man’s fingers”– a wrinkly, elongated, pale colored fruit which forms in hand-shaped clusters.  When ready to eat, it slides right off the stem and, despite the strange description, tastes delightful.  It’s sweet as honey, with light notes of fig and sometimes watermelon.  This is a rare and hard to find tree in Florida, and is a true collector’s item.

Cecropia is actually known around the world as one of the worst invasive tree species in the areas where it grows wild.  The Cecropia type grown in Florida is sterile (it doesn’t make seeds) and cultivated exclusively by air-layering, so at this point there’s no risk of it becoming a nuisance here, however, seeded versions run rampant in some tropical countries of Central and South America.  The Cecropia tree grows quickly to overstory size, and can become as tall as 50 feet in Florida.  

Because of the unique and delicious “gummy worm” fruit, Cecropia has become a bit popular and we actually get asked about it quite often.  But it’s only a good choice for those with ample space for a large tree with an otherworldly appearance.

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Size: 20-50 feet

Sun Requirements: Full Sun

Cold Hardy: 35 degrees F

Harvest Season:  Year-round

Watering requirements: Grows best with irrigation but will easily survive drought periods.

Food Forest Layer: Canopy