The Money Tree

It's called "Bombax ceiba", or more commonly, a "cotton tree" or "kapok." It grows throughout south and south-east Asia and can reach great heights of 60 metres. The wood is fairly light, semi-hard and is used for matches, furniture, plywood, and boat building. Most of the time, it's a fairly ordinary-looking deciduous tree. But in March and April, it flames into brilliant shades of orange and red. The waxy flowers are beautiful to look at, but for women on the Mekong, it's what's inside them that counts.