Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Tree
Origin
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, India, China, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Guaiacum officinale
Ceiba casearia, Bombax pentandrum
Number of Varieties
310
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-7
Sunset Zone
H1, H2
H1, H2, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
370.00 cm1,830.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Red, Orange Red
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Red
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Olive
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Olive
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Olive
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Egg-shaped
Palmate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Early Spring, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Consistently
Moderate
In Spring
Average Water
Moderate
In Winter
Moderate
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune to stimulate growth
Prune when young, Remove dead branches
Fertilizers
Fertilize three times a year
Nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Bacterial leaf spot, Red blotch, Root rot
Plant Tolerance
Drought, Salt
Drought, Soil Compaction
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
Fine
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Bees, Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Skin irritation
Headache, Pulmonary oedema, Respiratory distress, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
Improve skin tone, Making cosmetics, Moisturizing, Skin irritation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent Soil Erosion, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Aphrodisiac, Diuretic
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Sap
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Oil is used as an industrial solvent, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Botanical Name
GUAIACUM sanctum
Ceiba pentandra
Common Name
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
Cotton Tree, Red Kapok, Red-silk-cotton Tree
In Hindi
Lignum Vitae
सफ़ेद सेमल / शाल्मली
In German
Lignum Vitae
Kapok baum
In French
Lignum Vitae
Fromager
In Spanish
Palo santo
Ceiba
In Greek
Lignum Vitae
Ceiba
In Portuguese
pau-santo
Mafumeira
In Polish
Lignum Vitae
Puchowiec pięciopręcikowy
In Latin
lignum Vitae
Ceiba
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Malvales
Family
Zygophyllaceae
Bombacaceae
Genus
Guaiacum
Ceiba
Clade
-
Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
310
1
27800
👆🏻