Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Eastern Africa, Middle Africa
Types
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Kigelia africana
Number of Varieties
109
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Riverine forest, wooded grassland
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-159-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-7
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,830.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,830.00 cm910.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Red, Orange Red
Dark Red, Tan
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Brown
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
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
Average
Bloom Time
Early 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
Needs a lot of water initially
In Summer
Moderate
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen
Balanced liquid fertilizer monthly
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Leaf spot, Mealybugs, Rust
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Soil Compaction
Drought
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Poisonous when unripe
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
Acne, Slow downs aging
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Gynaecological, Malaria, STDs
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds
Dried seeds, Leaves
Other Uses
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
Used to flavour beer, Used to produce a red dye
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
Ceiba pentandra
KIGELIA africana
Common Name
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
Sausage Tree
In Hindi
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
Sausage Tree
In German
Kapok baum
Sausage Tree
In French
Fromager
saucisse Arbre
In Spanish
Ceiba
Árbol de salchicha
In Greek
Ceiba
λουκάνικο δέντρο
In Portuguese
Mafumeira
Árvore de salsicha
In Polish
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
kiełbasa Drzewo
In Latin
Ceiba
farciminis ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Malvales
Lamiales
Family
Bombacaceae
Bignoniaceae
Genus
Ceiba
Kaempferia
Clade
Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Tecomeae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
109
1
27800
👆🏻