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Ceiba speciosa A. St.-Hil.
Silk Floss Tree
False Kapok Tree
Synonym(s): Chorisia speciosa
Not native to Florida
Native to moist areas of Brazil and Argentina, this tree is sometimes found in landscapes of South and Central Florida.
Similar to, but smaller than the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra), the silk-floss tree has larger, showier flowers that appear from late fall to early winter. The 7.6-12.7cm (3-5 in.) diameter flowers are funnel-shaped, having five rose-purple petals with creamy-white to yellowish-white throats with dark red lines. The five stamens are made up of bundles of filaments and are usually fused together and around the style(monadelphous), giving the flower a similar appearance to hibiscus flowers. The leaves are palmate compound with five to seven lanceolate leaflets with serrate margins up to 12.7cm (5 in.) long emanating from a single point. Fruit is a pear-shaped capsule containing seeds embedded in silky white floss.
Ceiba speciosa is a member of the Malvaceae - Mallow family.
Other species of the Ceiba genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Ceiba insignis - WHITE SILK FLOSS TREE
Ceiba pentandra - KAPOK TREE
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Oct 03, 2023
