Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Broadleaf Evergreen
Origin
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Europe, Russia
Types
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Symphytum officinale (common comfrey), Symphytum asperum (rough comfrey)
Number of Varieties
102
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Cold Regions, stream banks
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-156-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,830.00 cm20.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,830.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Orange Red
White, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Red, Green, Copper
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Red, Dark Green, Burgundy, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Late Winter
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Root Division, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Allow to dry out slightly between watering, Water daily during growing season
In Summer
Moderate
Lots of watering
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
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
14-14-14 Fertilizer, All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Aphids, Stem spot
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Soil Compaction
Shallow soil, Sun
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Ants, Butterflies, pollinators
Allergy
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Antibacterial, Peripheral Edema
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
Acne, Beautiful Skin, Reduce Bruises, Remove blemishes
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Air purification, Fixes Nitrogen
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Asthma, Diarrhea, Obesity, Osteoarthritis
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Leaves, Twigs
Other Uses
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Groundcover, Hedges, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
Ceiba pentandra
Symphytum asperum
Common Name
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
Comfrey,Black Root, Blackwort, Bruisewort
In Hindi
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
Blackwort
In German
Kapok baum
Blackwort
In French
Fromager
Blackwort
In Spanish
Ceiba
Blackwort
In Greek
Ceiba
Blackwort
In Portuguese
Mafumeira
Blackwort
In Polish
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
Blackwort
In Latin
Ceiba
Blackwort
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malvales
Lamiales
Family
Bombacaceae
Boraginaceae
Genus
Ceiba
Symphytum
Clade
Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Boraginoideae
Number of Species
1035
1
27800
👆🏻