Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Africa, South America, Southeast Asia
Types
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Oriental Bittersweet, American Bittersweet
Habitat
Tropical regions
All sorts of environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-15
9-12
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Oval or Rounded
Flower Color
Red, Orange Red
Light Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Light Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Round with toothed margin
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Late Winter
Late Winter
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Do not water frequently
In Summer
Moderate
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Does not require fertilizer once established
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Leaf rust, Thripes
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought, Sun
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Fruit Bats, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Chest Pain, Inflammation, Skin rash, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
-
Bouquets
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
For treating wrinkles, Skin cleanser
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Food for birds, Suppresses or replaces native plants
Medicinal Uses
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Antibacterial, antimicrobial, Antispasmodic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Seeds
Other Uses
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
Application in Handicrafts, Used as a nemiticide, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
No
No
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
Ceiba pentandra
Celastrus orbiculatus
Common Name
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
Oriental bittersweet, Asian bittersweet
In Hindi
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
Asian bittersweet
In German
Kapok baum
Rundblättriger Baumwürger
In French
Fromager
Asian bittersweet
In Spanish
Ceiba
Asian bittersweet
In Greek
Ceiba
Asian bittersweet
In Portuguese
Mafumeira
Asian bittersweet
In Polish
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
Dławisz okrągłolistny
In Latin
Ceiba
Asian bittersweet
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malvales
Celastrales
Family
Bombacaceae
Celastraceae
Clade
Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Subfamily
-
Celastroideae
Importance of Kapok and Bittersweet
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Kapok and Bittersweet. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Kapok and Bittersweet 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 Kapok is Aphrodisiac and Diuretic whereas of Bittersweet is Antibacterial, antimicrobial and Antispasmodic. Kapok has beauty benefits as follows: Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing and Skin irritation while Bittersweet has beauty benefits as follows: Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing and Skin irritation.
Compare Facts of Kapok vs Bittersweet
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 Kapok vs Bittersweet 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 Kapok are Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress and wheezing whereas of Bittersweet have Chest Pain, Inflammation, Skin rash and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Kapok has showy fruits and Bittersweet has showy fruits. Also Kapok is not flowering and Bittersweet is not flowering . You can compare Kapok and Bittersweet facts and facts of other plants too.