Tropicals, Woody > Bombax > Bombax ceiba > Bombax ceiba
Bombax ceiba
Red Silk-Cotton, Red Cotton Tree, Kapok, Silk Cotton
Origin: Southern Asia.
| Family |
| Malvaceae |
| Genus |
| Bombax |
| Species |
| ceiba |
| Category |
| Tropicals, Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 10a - 12b |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Cool season protection under glass. |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1c |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 2 - 17 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 30 |
| Height |
| 12 - 40 m |
| Spread |
| 4 - 18 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| Landscape |
| A very attractive ornamental large tree when in bloom, suited to parks and large open landscapes. |
| Cultivation |
| Full sun and well drained soils. |
| Shape |
| Branches are whorled going up the trunk. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| Habitat |
| Stream banks, warm forests valleys and tropical areas. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Conical spikes around trunk and branches. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Oval and dense at tips. |
| Leaf Description |
| Palmate, 5 - 7 lobed, lanceolate to elliptic leaves. Leaflets are attached to a long petiole |
| Flower Description |
| Calyx shaped flowers, fleshy with 5 petal. Single flowers but dense at branch tips. |
| Fruit Description |
| Pod-like capsules filled with seeds and silky cotton material. |
| Colour Description |
| Flowers are red with yellow stamens and black anthers. Bark is a greenish-grey. Foliage is a deep green. Buds are a greenish-brown. |
| Texture Description |
| Flowers are thick and fleshy with a waxy appearance. The bark us smooth but prickly. |
| Propagation |
| Seeds, cuttings and air layering. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Floss (kapok) is used for stuffing blankets and coats. Used to treat diabetes. |
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