Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Number of Varieties
1015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-156-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-6
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,830.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,830.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Orange Red
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Late Winter
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Needs small amount of water
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Soil Compaction
Cold climate, Frost
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
drowsiness, Scratches
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
bank hedging, Ornamental use
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, Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
Ceiba pentandra
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In Hindi
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
सुई ताड़
In German
Kapok baum
Nadel -Palme
In French
Fromager
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
Ceiba
palmera aguja
In Greek
Ceiba
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
Mafumeira
palmeira agulha
In Polish
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
Igła palma
In Latin
Ceiba
acus palma
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malvales
Arecales
Family
Bombacaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Ceiba
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Corypheae
Subfamily
-
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
1010
1
27800
👆🏻