One of the largest trees of the tropics, the ceiba tree (Ceiba pentandra) is native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. In Middle America, it is recognized as the sacred tree of the Maya, and is also a distinctive feature of the cultural landscape throughout its natural range. In the Caribbean, the ceiba is commonly known as the silk-cotton tree or kapok, both referring to the cotton-like fiber that is harvested from its seed pods. Though not holding the same deep significance as for the Maya, ceiba trees are nevertheless prominent in the landscape of many Caribbean islands, often in natural settings but in many cases intentionally planted in both private and public locations. Complementing recent cultural and historical surveys of ceiba trees throughout various parts of Middle America and the Caribbean, this research presents observations from preliminary field investigations of ceibas as features of the cultural landscape in the Leeward Islands of Saint Martin and Sint Eustatius.