The Ceiba speciosa, also known as the silk floss tree, is native to South America. The cotton-like material of its fruit is used for insulation and cushioning (cushions, life jackets, etc.). The seeds are pressed to extract an edible oil.
Identity Card
Tassonomia
Detailed Informations
Etymology
Ceiba means “cotton-tree” in Spanish. Speciosa means “magnificent” in Latin.
Description and flowering period
It is a tree which usually reaches heights of 6 to 12 meters although it can reach up to 25 meters. Its trunk is slightly swollen at the base – hence its bottle-tree nickname – it can reach 2 meters in girth, is green-barked and covered in cone-shaped prickles of varying sizes. With age, the trunk and spines turn to grey. The leaves are deciduous. They are palmate and composed of 5 to 7 lance-shaped, 10cm long leaflets with slightly toothed margins. They have a lengthy leaf-stalk. In Europe, flowering occurs before new leaves develop: the bare branches carry large star-shaped flowers bearing 5 petals which are pink at the top and white spotted with dark-red towards the base. The inedible fruits are oblong, green and pendulous. They are nearly 20cm long. Once mature, the outer layer turns brown and opens to reveal a dense cottony mass. These white silky fibres surround the seeds which are round and brown. This distinctive feature is what inspired its common-name “silk-floss tree”.
Habitat
It demands a humus-rich, deep yet free-draining acidic soil in a sheltered sunny position. The species is drought-tolerant and can withstand short spells of light frosts. It dies at -5°C and leaf damage occurs at -1°C.
Uses
- Ornamental.
- Craftsmanship: The supple wood is used for dugout boats and paper pulp; The cottony floss is used as insulation and padding (cushions, life jackets…).
- Culinary: The seeds are pressed to obtain oil.
Notes
Translated by: François Saint-Hillier – MNHN
