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Ceiba speciosa

Ceiba speciosa
Silk Floss Tree, Floss Silk Tree, Kapok Tree

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Tree of mild climate whose very exotic appearance betrays its tropical origins. Everything is spectacular about the false Kapok tree: its trunk swollen at its base earns it the nickname "bottle tree". It is covered with large grey thorns, with a round section at their base. Finally, its magnificent flowering covers its spread-out crown with flowers of large diameter, pink with a white-yellow heart. Not very hardy, it can only grow outdoors on the French Riviera or in the warmest areas of the Atlantic coast. Despite its imposing adult size, it can be grown in a pot and brought indoors in winter in cooler regions. It also tolerates our heated interiors quite well.
Flower size
12 cm
Height at maturity
12 m
Spread at maturity
8 m
Exposure
Sun
Hardiness
Hardy down to -1°C
Soil moisture
Dry soil, Moist soil
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Best planting time April to May
Recommended planting time March to May
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Flowering time October to December
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Description

Ceiba speciosa, often better known by its former name Chorisia, is a tree of tropical climates that will delight exoticism enthusiasts. Its palmate foliage is graceful, but it is especially its flowering that attracts attention. In autumn, it is covered with large pink flowers, forming a magnificent spectacle. On young trees, the bark is also decorative, with a beautiful green colour that turns grey with age. And the last ornamental feature, the trunk is adorned with massive thorns, giving it an astonishing graphic design. As it ages, the trunk takes on a swollen shape at the base, making it resemble a bottle. Reserved for the mildest areas of France, it can also be grown in large pots elsewhere.

The Faux Kapok or bottle tree belongs to the Malvaceae family, which has absorbed the Bombacaceae family, just like the Baobab. It is native to South America, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, where it grows in subtropical and tropical forests up to 600m (1968ft) altitude. In these regions, it can reach a height of 30m (98ft 5in) and forms a massive trunk with a diameter of up to 2m (6ft 7in).
In France, it can only be grown outdoors on the French Riviera and in the mildest areas of the Atlantic coast. The mini botanical garden of Bormes-les-Mimosas, hidden in the narrow streets of the old village, houses a majestic specimen of over 10m (32ft 10in) in height, with an upright habit (about 6m (19ft 8in) wide). It grows rapidly in the first years and has a very beautiful green bark. Then its growth slows down as it becomes more massive, and its mature bark turns grey, a beautiful "elephant" grey, as its habit evokes the power of this animal. As it ages, it takes on a characteristic "bottle" shape, due to the swelling of the base of the trunk. A remarkable feature, large grey conical spines cover the trunk and large branches, giving it a unique appearance.
As for the foliage, it is very light and graceful, consisting of palmate leaves composed of 5 or 7 leaflets about 12cm (4.7in) long, of a medium green colour. This foliage is semi-evergreen to deciduous depending on the winter temperatures. The flowering, which begins in late summer in our hemisphere, lasts for several weeks. Large flowers with a diameter of 10 to 15cm, composed of 5 pink petals with a white to yellow centre, then cover the tree, offering a magnificent spectacle. They develop into green fruits, elliptical in shape and vaguely resembling certain pears or avocados, but larger as they can reach up to 20cm (7.9in) in length. The large seeds they contain are surrounded by a fibrous and cottony white material, like the kapok derived from the C. pentandra species.
C. speciosa grows in neutral to acidic, moist to dry, and well-drained soil. It likes full sun but not wind. Its hardiness is low, the foliage is affected from -1°C (30.2 °F) but a well-rooted plant can withstand up to -5°C.

While planting the faux kapok tree outdoors is reserved for the most privileged climates in France, it is still possible to grow it in a pot and overwinter it indoors, especially as it can tolerate heating. In this case, a sufficiently large container (40 to 50 litres) and a high enough room must be chosen to accommodate it, because even if its dimensions will be constrained by the limited root volume, it will not stay under the usual 2.50m (8ft 2in) ceilings for long... On the French Riviera, it will be a valuable addition to create a tropical-inspired scene alongside other plants with exotic appearances, such as the Syagrus romanzoffiana, a superb palm tree resembling a coconut tree, or the Phytolacca dioica (Belombra), which quickly forms spectacular trunks.

Plant habit

Height at maturity 12 m
Spread at maturity 8 m
Habit spreading
Growth rate normal

Flowering

Flower colour pink
Flowering time October to December
Inflorescence Solitary
Flower size 12 cm
Flowering description Large - 10-15cm in diameter.
Fruit colour green

Foliage

Foliage persistence Semi-evergreen
Foliage colour medium green
Foliage description Palmate. Evergreen or deciduous depending on climate.

Botanical data

Genus

Ceiba

Species

speciosa

Family

Malvaceae

Other common names

Silk Floss Tree, Floss Silk Tree, Kapok Tree

Origin

South America

Product reference18486

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Planting and care

Plant Ceiba speciosa in spring, in a sheltered and sunny location. Install it in loose, fertile soil, rich in compost, neutral to acidic, and above all well-drained. In a pot, the growing medium should not completely dry out, without being waterlogged (no full saucer of water under the pot). In the ground, a not too severe drought is tolerated, but it will harm the tree's floribundity.

In the ground: dig a deep planting hole, add some compost and sand to your garden soil to improve soil quality and drainage if needed. Water abundantly after planting and during summer, especially during the first two years.

Pot cultivation:

Choose a large pot with drainage holes at the bottom, with a volume of 40 or 50 litres. Ensure good drainage by placing a 3cm (1.2in) layer of gravel, broken clay pots, or clay pellets at the bottom. Fill with a mixture consisting of half garden soil, a quarter leaf compost, and a quarter coarse sand. A good quality horticultural compost with a pH of 6.5 or less will also be suitable. The growing medium should be rich in fertilizing elements and kept slightly moist throughout the growing season. In winter, reduce watering and stop fertilizer inputs. Store the plant in a bright, frost-free location, knowing that it also tolerates indoor heated environments. The main difficulty lies in its size, which will eventually become difficult to manage unless you have an open room on a higher floor.

 

 

Planting period

Best planting time April to May
Recommended planting time March to May

Intended location

Suitable for Meadow
Type of use Free-standing, Container, Greenhouse, Conservatory
Hardiness Hardy down to -1°C (USDA zone 10a) Show map
Ease of cultivation Amateur
Planting density 1 per m2
Exposure Sun
Soil pH Acidic, Neutral
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light)
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil, Well-drained

Care

Pruning No pruning necessary
Soil moisture Dry soil, Moist soil
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Needs to be stored

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