It's also an excellent plant for conservation purposes with a huge root system. In most places along the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua and on both of the Corn Islands, there are laws against its removal. We have several large plants which add interest and beauty to our landscape - and the seeds from our plants have provided young plants for us to use and eventually to sell.
Initially we sowed the seeds in a minimally protected area - a 'tent' made of a discarded shrimp net - and the germination rate was high, producing hundreds of seedlings.
After nearly two seasons in their tent, the seedlings were dug and planted, three to a bag. In most of Nicaragua plastic bags are used instead of plastic pots.
The young plants spent a season in their bags in a protected space as shown below and then the bags of plants were placed in the nursery, fully exposed to the weather in which they'll spend the rest of their hopefully very long lives.
The picture above shows only a small number of the baby plants we bagged.