Open AccessThe objective of this paper was to analyze the effect of different substrata in the germination of Ochroma pyramidale (Cav. ex Lam.) Urb. (Bombacaceae). The experiment was conducted in delineation randomized with three treatments (substratum) and four repetitions of 25 seeds. The following substrata had been tested: sand + vermiculite (1:1); vermiculite and, sand + shavings (1:1). The effect of substrata through the percentage of germination of the seeds, average time of germination and index of germination speed (IGS) were evaluated. There had been significant difference between the treatments in of all the observed variable. The seeds, when conditioned in vermiculite, had presented the biggest tax of germination, greatest speed and lowest germination time.