Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
103
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1510-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,830.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,830.00 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Orange Red
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Slow
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
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Moderate
Consistently
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
Soil
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
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought, Salt
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
Ceiba pentandra
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
Lignum Vitae
In German
Kapok baum
Lignum Vitae
In French
Fromager
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
Ceiba
Palo santo
In Greek
Ceiba
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
Mafumeira
pau-santo
In Polish
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
Ceiba
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malvales
Sapindales
Family
Bombacaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Ceiba
Guaiacum
Clade
Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
103
1
27800
👆🏻