Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
Number of Varieties
Not Available
Habitat
Tropical regions
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-15
10-15
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Twisted/Contorted
Flower Color
Red, Orange Red
Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Crimson, Copper
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Not Available
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Not Available
Dark Green
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Compound
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Late Winter
Summer, Indeterminate
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
occasional watering once established
In Summer
Moderate
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
Yes
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
Not Used For Aesthetic Purpose
Bonsai
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
Edible Uses
Yes
Sometimes
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Medicinal Uses
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
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
BURSERA simaruba
Common Name
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
In Hindi
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
Bursera simaruba
In German
Kapok baum
Bursera simaruba
In French
Fromager
Bursera simaruba
In Spanish
Ceiba
Bursera simaruba
In Greek
Ceiba
Bursera simaruba
In Portuguese
Mafumeira
Bursera simaruba
In Polish
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
Bursera simaruba
In Latin
Ceiba
Bursera simaruba
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Magnoliopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Malvales
Sapindales
Family
Bombacaceae
Burseraceae
Clade
Eudicots, Rosids
Eudicots
Tribe
Not Available
Not Available
Subfamily
Not Available
Not Available
Number of Species
Not Available
Importance of Kapok and Gumbo Limbo
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Kapok and Gumbo Limbo. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Kapok and Gumbo Limbo 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 Gumbo Limbo is Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and Headache. Kapok has beauty benefits as follows: Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing and Skin irritation while Gumbo Limbo has beauty benefits as follows: Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing and Skin irritation.
Compare Facts of Kapok vs Gumbo Limbo
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 Gumbo Limbo 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 Gumbo Limbo have allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Kapok has showy fruits and Gumbo Limbo has showy fruits. Also Kapok is not flowering and Gumbo Limbo is not flowering . You can compare Kapok and Gumbo Limbo facts and facts of other plants too.