Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Middle Africa
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Not Available
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
Floodplains, Forest margins, Tropical regions, waterways, Wet lands, Woodlands
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
7-11
9-15
AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
12-7
Sunset Zone
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
Sandy Brown
Red, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Non Fruiting Plant
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Purple
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Purple
Not Available
Leaf Shape
Long Linear
Palmate
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Early Spring, Late Winter
Tolerances
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Budding, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering, Water more in summer
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, organic fertlizers
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Insects, Red blotch
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Salt
Drought, Soil Compaction
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Birds, Flying insects
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Asthma, breathing problems
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Beauty Benefits
No Beauty Benefits
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Amazing growth rate, Food for animals, Food for insects, Prevent Soil Erosion, Shelter for wildlife, Wildlife, Windbreak
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Medicinal Uses
Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders, Wounds
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used As Food
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
PENNISETUM purpureum 'Prince'
Ceiba pentandra
Common Name
Elephant Grass
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
In Hindi
हाथी घास
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
In German
Elefantengras
Kapok baum
In French
l'herbe à éléphant
Fromager
In Spanish
pasto elefante
Ceiba
In Greek
ελέφαντα χόρτο
Ceiba
In Portuguese
capim-elefante
Mafumeira
In Polish
trawa słoniowa
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
In Latin
elephanti herba
Ceiba
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Family
Poaceae
Bombacaceae
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Paniceae
Not Available
Subfamily
Panicoideae
Not Available
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Elephant Grass and Kapok
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Elephant Grass and Kapok. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Elephant Grass and Kapok as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Elephant Grass is Eye Problems, Headache, Skin Disorders and Wounds whereas of Kapok is Aphrodisiac and Diuretic. Elephant Grass has beauty benefits as follows: No Beauty Benefits while Kapok has beauty benefits as follows: No Beauty Benefits.
Compare Facts of Elephant Grass vs Kapok
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Elephant Grass vs Kapok and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Elephant Grass are Asthma and breathing problems whereas of Kapok have Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress and wheezing respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Elephant Grass has no showy fruits and Kapok has showy fruits. Also Elephant Grass is not flowering and Kapok is not flowering . You can compare Elephant Grass and Kapok facts and facts of other plants too.