Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
India, Nepal, China
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Betula utilis
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Number of Varieties
210
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mountains
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-79-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
7-5
12-7
Sunset Zone
3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Pyramidal
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Tan, Brown
Red, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Yellow green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Cordiform
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring
Early Spring, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Average Water
Moderate
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Fertilize in early spring, Fertilize in late fall, slow-release fertilizers
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Honey fungus, Leaves with brown tip, Phytophthora Root Rot, Powdery mildew, Verticillium Wilt
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Dry Conditions, waterlogging, Wet Site
Drought, Soil Compaction
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Weightloss
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Antioxidants, Antiseptic, Carminative
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used in construction, Wood is used in construction
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BETULA utilis
Ceiba pentandra
Common Name
Himalayan Birch
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
In Hindi
हिमालय सन्टी
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
In German
Himalaya-Birke
Kapok baum
In French
bouleau de l'Himalaya
Fromager
In Spanish
abedul del Himalaya
Ceiba
In Greek
Himalayan σημύδας
Ceiba
In Portuguese
bétula Himalaia
Mafumeira
In Polish
Himalayan brzoza
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
In Latin
Birch Himalayan
Ceiba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Malvales
Family
Betulaceae
Bombacaceae
Genus
Betula
Ceiba
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
3010
1
27800
👆🏻