Does anyone have a kapok tree?

9 years ago

I was just given two baby Kapok trees (by a customer of where I work) grown from seed from his tree. He lives in Delray I think.
They are about three feet tall. He said it takes 7 years to bloom, and it has huge thorns that he knocks off the tree as it grows upward so as to not deal with them. He gave me pictures of the blooms and they are beautiful!

I would like some info for growing these from local gardeners, P.B. County, and thank you.

FlowerLady

Featured Answer

eric_9b

9 years ago

There are 3 different trees in this post! The are all closely related. All produce pods with silky fibers. The first 2 are often mistakenly referred to as "Kapok Trees". The belong to the former Bombacaceae Family which has now been lumbed into Malvaceae (mallow/hibiscus).

The first photo is Ceiba speciosa (formerly Chorisia), Floss Silk Tree. It has big spines on the trunk and bears large showy pink flowers in the fall.

The second photo of the tree at the former Kapok Tree Inn is actually Bombax ceiba, Silk Cotton Tree. It flowers in spring producing large red flowers. It can have spines on the trunk but it usually loses them as the tree gets older.

The 3rd photo of the giant tree is the true Kapok Tree, Ceiba pentandra. This one gets absolutely massive with a huge buttress. It flowers in early spring with small white flowers. The fibers in the seed pods of this tree are the source of kapok fiber. The one in the photo is the Florida Champion Kapok in Palm Beach adjacent to Whitehall, Henry Flager's mansion. It was planted in the 1890s by one of Flagler's gardeners. The form seen in FL is usually spineless but some can have a few spines on the trunk.

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Comments (18)

User
9 years ago
This it????? Have two....
flowerladylorraine
Original Author
9 years ago
Yep, that's it. How old is yours? How tall is it?

Thanks ~ FlowerLady
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User
9 years ago
Large one is about 30 ft. Tall, 12 years old. Other is ten or so, but not as large. Blooms are beautiful !
flowerladylorraine
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you!

Have a nice weekend ~ FlowerLady
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
9 years ago
They become ENORMOUS! Our neighbor has 1 that towers over the block & is releasing the puffs of kapok right now - they land everywhere & every puff contains a seed that seems to sprout. Used to be a well-known restaurant here in Pinellas County called The Kapok Tree, which had a gigantic tree in front - it's now a Sam Ash music store - & the tree is apparently still there.
writersblock (9b/10a)
9 years ago
Yes, seriously huge.
flowerladylorraine
Original Author
9 years ago
WOW! I would love to see one of these in bloom.

Since I'm 65, I would be 87 when it reached 30 ft. as wallisadi said that is the height in 12 years. As it is, I'll be 72 before it even blooms.

What about growing it in a container?

Thanks all of you for your input.

FlowerLady
flowerladylorraine
Original Author
9 years ago
Eric ~ I'm posting a photo of my two babies. Can you tell by looking at the leaves which type this is? It has pink and white azalea looking blooms.

Thank you ~ FlowerLady
User
9 years ago
Thx ......Eric
eric_9b
9 years ago
They look to be Ceiba speciosa, Floss Silk Trees. What color were the flowers on the parent tree ?
flowerladylorraine
Original Author
9 years ago
Eric ~ here is a photo of the flowers from the mother of my babies.

Thank you for your help ~ FlowerLady
eric_9b
9 years ago
Definitely Ceiba speciosa !
miss_engelhardt
8 years ago
Hi. Sorry to comment on a post from 2014 but I live in Curaçao and just a piece of land with this big tree on it. I've been told it's a kapok tree. And that there are only about five on the island. I have been gathering information about the tree since I want to keep it. I just don't want it to go breaking walls in a few years. It's about 10 m high.
wisconsitom
8 years ago
There's another truly enormous Ceiba pentandra at the Edison/Ford Estate and Grounds in Fort Myers. Was just beginning to swell its flower buds when I was down in Jan. I was led to believe that was a bit early. Up to that point, the SW Florida area had not had any cold weather, so things were running a bit ahead of schedule it seemed. Fantastic trees-simply outstanding, all of these heavily-buttressed tropical monsters.
bluodysea
7 years ago
Hi I loved reading all the posts regarding the Kapok trees. I planted one like flower lady in my Johannesburg South Africa garden three years ago and was wondering how long it would take to bloom. Now I know seven years. Thank you for the wonderful information Eric. They are very popular in my suburb and look stunning when in flower. Isn't gardening fabulous always something to look forward to in any season. Happy growing : )
Halfway There
7 years ago
There are 2 in bloom here now. I'll try and get a pic tomorrow. I always wondered what they were!
APworld
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Eric, I am really enjoying learning more about the giant kapok tree, what a majestic tree. Where do they grow Ceiba pentandra for commercial production?