Silk
floss tree (Ceiba speciosa) blooms during or after leaf drop.
Photos by Jeff Shimonski
Silk floss tree (Ceiba speciosa)
Reprinted
from:
City Trees: Journal of the Society of Municipal Arborists
www.urban-forestry.com
March 2008
The silk floss tree, Ceiba speciosa, is
a tropical tree native to Brazil and northern Argentina. In South America,
where it is often used as a street tree, it is sometimes known by common
names corisia morada or palo borracho. Well known for its spiny green
trunk, it is a stunning tree when in bloom. From a tropical point of
view, it is also a hardy tree that can tolerate drought and light frost
once established. The tree appears to be fairly salt tolerant, and it
grows well in coastal areas.
This Ceiba species was until recently known
as Chorisia speciosa. There also may be some confusion regarding the
species, as the color of the flowers on individual trees can range from
light pink to dark purple. It is always interesting to grow silk floss
trees from seed, as there is much variation in flower color and in the
amount of spines on the trunk.
In the winter or the dry season, the silk
floss is deciduous. A profusion of blooms that may last for over a month
is usually seen in the fall; however, I believe irrigation conditions
and local rainfall can affect flowering. I have seen individual trees
bloom in the spring and the fall. The characteristic blooming at the
beginning or near the end of leaf fall gives pollinators better access
to the individual flowers, which can increase fruit set. From an aesthetic
point of view, since the flowers are not mixed with foliage, there’s
a brilliant show of color. The fruit is smooth and green, about the
size of an avocado. It will eventually split open, and seeds attached
to long white hairs will blow away in the wind.
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Ceiba
and other closely related species like the baobab and the kapok, in
the family that was formerly the Bombacaceae (now included in the Malvaceae),
are easily grown from seed. I understand that they can be grown from
cuttings, but I have never had any luck with this method of propagation.
Large specimen trees relocate well, but the wood and branches are easily
scarred and broken; trees should be picked up from the bottom.
Best grown in sandy, well-drained soil
with a small amount of organic material, these trees can grow quite
fast when water is abundant. They seem to grow in spurts and sometimes
develop distinctive bottle-shaped trunks. Trees that I have grown from
seed have reached 60 feet (20 meters) in 15 years.
Jeff
Shimonski, Director of Horticulture,
Jungle Island, Miami, Florida
NOTE:
Trees of Merit are not suitable for every climate and site condition.
Variations in regional performance will apply. If you are using a Tree
of Merit in your municipality, please share your experience with it
on the SMA Listserve |
