Ceiba Speciosa–Silk Floss Tree

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                                                        Ceiba Speciosa–Silk Floss Tree

When I first published pictures of the flowers of this tree, I didn’t know its name, so I identified it as a Mexican Orchid Tree.

IMG_3877 IMG_3864 IMG_3875 I later published pictures of its thorny trunk.  These photos of the trunk are new, as are all of these photos, except for the ones that show flowers, since the tree is no longer blooming. (An explanation of supposed reasons for the thorns is given below in the comments section.)IMG_1043 IMG_1047 IMG_3885
At first, when the fruit appeared, I thought it must be a breadfruit tree:

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but later, when its very large pods started to burst open, revealing huge clumps of what looked like kapok–the material that was once used for packing material and to pad envelopes–I told a friend that it was a kapok tree.

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Today for some reason I was reminded that I’d meant to see if this was true and an hour’s research online finally earned me an answer.  Although it is not a kapok tree, it is related to it and the stuffing inside the large pods is often used as packing material as well as in the production of canoes, wood pulp and ropes.

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In addition, oil from its seeds may be used for both commercial and cooking purposes.

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All in all, a most intriguing tree.  I was so happy to have identified it that I drove through stop and go bumper-to-bumper weekend traffic to get these additional shots to thrill you all with my new knowledge.  You are thrilled, right???

What is the name of this tree and flower???? Ceiba Speciosa–Silk Floss Tree

To pingback your flower picture to the prompt or to see Cee’s or other flowers, go here: http://ceenphotography.com/2016/01/02/flower-of-the-day-january-3-2016-amaryllis-bud-flower-day-8/

26 thoughts on “Ceiba Speciosa–Silk Floss Tree”

    1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      Some trees were smooth and some thorny but all had pods on them. Must be a male/female thing, but why would they both have pods and flowers? Mysteries of nature.

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    2. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      Jennifer…Why do floss-silk trees have thorns? The usual answer is that, in their native South America, monkeys (and probably other animals as well) found the flower buds and young fruits of these trees quite tasty. The large thorns served to discourage animals from climbing the trees, especially when the trees are young and more vulnerable to damage. Since most monkeys in South America are arboreal with prehensile tails, they would likely not climb the trunks but would swing from neighboring trees to reach the fruit, making the thorns unnecessary. Yet, most structures such as thorns do have some evolutionary purpose. Perhaps, we should merely conclude that the thorns discourage some sort of activity that would be damaging to the trunk and thin bark of these glorious trees.
      (Adapted from Ornamental Trees of San Diego, published in 2003 by the San Diego Horticultural Society.)

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    1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      I know. There is always a new variety of astonishing flowers or trees. They have probably all been here the whole while I have, but I think we notice different things at different times.

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    1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      Thanks, Chris…I’ve been looking at these trees for 14 years and just yesterday discovered what they were. Since they look so different at different stages, I don’t think I realized the “orchid” tree was the same one as the “breadfruit” and the “kapok.” Glad to bring them all together.

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  6. Laura Newhampshire's avatarLaura L.

    Tom Robbins, in his book “Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates” has his protagonist grumbling about how @#$%%! *vivid* the tropics are. Every time you post these wild, colorful photos, I can’t help but flash onto the word “vivid” and smile.

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  7. Pingback: Silk Floss Tree | lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown

  11. Annie H's avatarAnnie H

    There is something satisfying about finally identifying somethings, even years after you first saw it. This summer I got an ID on a plant I saw 35 years ago. Now I can learn more about it.

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    1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      Hi, Annie. Thanks for your comment. Yes, I do love finding out what a tree or flower or plant is. Easier to do now with the internet. I’m curious about how you found this post as it is 7 years old. It is my second most viewed post in 13 years and I’m wondering how people continue to find it. Can you solve the mystery? Hope to see you again! Judy

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      1. Annie H's avatarAnnie H

        I think I was looking at one of your ‘FOTD’ posts and this came up as a ‘related post’ at the end of it. I don’t know how wordpress ‘chooses’ the items to list there. On my own blogs, I often can’t see how they are ‘related’ at all.

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  12. Unknown's avatarAnonymous

    Thank you for this post. I spent years thinking a friend had a variety of orchid tree in the yard of her old house. I still recall picking up fluff off the ground and thinking it was the dogs tearing up their beds. Googling orchid tree + spike took me here and now I know the tree’s true name.

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  13. Unknown's avatarAnonymous

    This is so interesting because I just saw one of these trees out toward Padre Island not far from where I live in Corpus Christi TX and I’m thinking possibly seeds from one might have washed up during a hurricane and transplanted itself as I’ve never seen one before – It has yellow flowers but the same green trunk and thorns.

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