Roots
Buttress roots
Buttress roots form as an
extension of the lower trunk
in several species of tropical
and semitropical plants.
They become flattened
extensions that extend into
the soil and help stabilize
these shallow-rooted trees.
Brosimum
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Roots
Buttress roots
Plants with significant buttress
roots are native to rainforests
where the soil is not especially
nutrient rich.
This tends to favor surface
rooting species with abundant
roots in the upper soil profile.
A buttressed trunk has more
stability in wet soils that
accompany the high winds of
tropical storms.
Terminalis
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Buttress roots
Ceiba
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Roots
Buttress roots
Buttress roots extend outward
just below or along the soil
surface.
In this way, they provide
structural support as well as
extending the root system to
forage for nutrients.
Sterculia quadrifida
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Roots
Buttress roots
In some Ficus species,
buttress roots can
extend 30 feet or
more along the soil
surface.
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