Silk floss tree

A tree with a bottle trunk

Ceiba speciosa, once known as Chorisia speciosa, is an imposing deciduous tree of the mallow family, the same as the baobab. Its most curious feature is the trunk: green when young, it swells at the base into a bottle or spindle shape and is covered in stout conical thorns. In autumn, often on a bare tree, it produces large pink flowers with a paler centre, of great ornamental effect. Hence the South American nicknames palo borracho (drunken stick) and bottle tree.

Origin and habitat

It is native to the tropical and subtropical forests of South America, particularly Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. It grows fast when young and loves warm climates. In Bolivia it is called toborochi, the 'sheltering tree'.

Cultivation

It wants full sun and deep, fertile, well-drained soil. As an adult it tolerates drought well thanks to the water stored in its trunk. It is grown as an ornamental tree in many mild-climate regions; it dislikes prolonged frost, which limits its cultivation to warm-temperate climates. The trunk's thorns call for care in frequented areas.

Uses and facts

The fruits contain a cottony fibre similar to kapok, which surrounds the seeds and is traditionally used for stuffing; an oil is also obtained from the seeds. It belongs to the same subfamily as the baobabs and kapoks. The conical trunk thorns probably serve to deter large herbivores and to retain moisture.

Care

When young it should be watered regularly to encourage vigorous growth, reducing the supply as the plant establishes. It is little prone to disease and needs little care once mature.