Silk Floss Tree Flowers

This tree has incredible wow factor for several reasons.

Silk floss tree flowers. The spiny trunk is unusually thick and remains green even on older trees. Gary gragg of golden gate palms nursery teaches you all about the white floss silk tree from south america and it s gorgeous thorns green trunk and fall fl. Silk floss tree blossoms are so big so vibrant. Some trees maintain a relatively narrow crown with one straight trunk while others are wide spreading particularly on older specimens.

The thick trunk keeps its green color see close up below and takes on a slightly bulbous shape as the plant matures. The genus is named after the italian nobleman filippo degli albizzi who introduced it to europe in the mid 18th century and it is sometimes incorrectly spelled albizzia. Floss silk tree can reach 50 feet in height with an equal or greater spread and grows rapidly the first few years then more slowly. It tolerates some light shade but flowers best is in full sun.

Growing silk floss trees are found in their native tropics of brazil and argentina. Trees with established root systems have some drought tolerance. The exotic floss silk tree features showy pink flowers seed pods filled with fluffy white silk and one of the most unique tree trunks in nature. The fabulous blooms are either bright pink and white or all white depending on the species and resemble oversized hibiscus flowers understandable as the two plants are closely related.

Albizia julibrissin the persian silk tree or pink silk tree is a species of tree in the family fabaceae native to southwestern and eastern asia. The persian silk tree is an attractive ornamental tree well known for its beautiful foliage and flowers. The specific epithet julibrissin is a corruption of the persian word gul i abrisham which means silk flower. Planting a silk floss tree should occur in full sun in with consistent moisture in humus rich well drained soil.

About floss silk trees. The scientific name of this tree is albizia julibrissin. The silk floss tree ceiba speciosa formerly chorisia speciosa is a species of deciduous tree native to the tropical and subtropical forests of south america it has several local common names such as palo borracho in spanish literally drunken stick samu ũ in guarani or paineira in brazilian portuguese in bolivia it is called toborochi meaning tree of refuge or sheltering tree. The exotic looking silk floss tree stands out in any garden or park for its intensely colored blossoms its unusual seed pods and its thorns.

The floss silk tree crown is uniform with green limbs branching upon which round palmate leaves form. Albizia julibrissin was described by antonio durazzini. Formerly placed in their own genus chorisia and still sold under that name these showy south american members of the bombax family bombacaceae are closely related to the tropical kapok tree ceiba pentandra and have recently been reclassified within that genus. This relatively fast growing tree know botanically as ceiba speciosa is native to southern brazil and argentina.

The leaves drop when temperatures sink below 27 f 3 c. With their fat thorny trunks and branches tropical looking foliage and exotic hibiscus like flowers the floss silk trees are among the most distinctive ornamental trees for regions where frosts are not severe.