is a valuable tree down this way. It is where the sloths like to hang out as the leaves have a narcotic effect on the slow critters.
The limbs are hollow and can be snapped off fairly easily, which was fortunate for us when we had to take down some branches the other day as they were dangling over our power lines.
Unfortunately, while the leaves are an attraction for the sloths, the sap is a major feedbag for fire ants as well. So, when we were clearing the branches, we were getting chewed pretty good by the little buggers; not the most pleasant of tasks.
I did not know, or notice, that this tree is also prevalent in Hawaii, as well. There are no sloths in the Islands, but I'm sure there would be ants if someone wanted to snap off a branch.
They are not the easiest of trees to grow, either. According to our neighbor, an agronomy professor at the university here, the seeds need to pass through a bird's digestive system in order to germinate properly and grow, which makes for a long process and not an easy one.
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