Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Number of Varieties
110
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Twisted/Contorted
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
460.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Red, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Moderate
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
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
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Soil Compaction
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
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
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
-
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
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, Street Trees, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
Ceiba pentandra
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
In German
Bursera simaruba
Kapok baum
In French
Bursera simaruba
Fromager
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
Ceiba
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
Ceiba
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
Mafumeira
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
Ceiba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Malvales
Family
Burseraceae
Bombacaceae
Genus
Bursera
Ceiba
Clade
Eudicots
Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1010
1
27800
👆🏻