The Cotton Tree is a kapok tree that is a historic symbol of Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone. The Cotton Tree gained importance in 1792 when a group of formerly enslaved African Americans, who had gained their freedom by fighting for the British during the American Revolutionary War, settled the site of modern Freetown. These former Black Loyalist soldiers, resettled in Sierra Leone and founded Freetown on 11 March 1792. Their descendants form part of the Sierra Leone Creole ethnicity today.
Fun fact: Sierra Leone National Museum, located next to this landmark, had “Cotton Tree, Freetown” as its postal address!
On the night of May 24, 2023, much of Freetown’s Cotton Tree toppled over as heavy rain hit the city.
