The Floss-Silk
Tree is one of the finest and most spectacular flowering trees of the tropics.
It has large, bright pink, hibiscus-like flowers a bottle-shaped, spiny trunk
and bright green bark. It is easy to grow in warm regions and so is one of the
most popular flowering trees that is grown in the tropics. It is tolerant of
mild frost so it can be grown in subtropical locations like central Florida and
southern California. Chorisia speciosa is
a conical deciduous tree with somewhat irregular branching that is native to
tropical and sub-tropical forested areas of Argentina and Brazil where it often
rises to 40-60′ tall. This tree is now grown as a showy flowering tree in many
tropical areas around the globe. It performs well in southern Florida, parts of
California and Hawaii. It will typically develop an attractive, rounded,
umbrella-like crown over time. Trunks and branches are armed with stout
triangular spines. Trunks are green in youth, but may eventually mature to
gray. Each palmate, compound, light green leaf has 5-7 serrate, lanceolate
leaflets (each to 5″ long). Leaves typically drop in fall before this tree
blooms. Open, five-petaled, funnel-shaped flowers (3-5″ diameter) which
somewhat resemble hibiscus bloom late fall to early winter. Flowers are quite
showy, featuring pink to rose-purple petals with creamy white to
yellowish-white throats. Flowers are followed by pear-shaped capsules (fruit pods)
filled with seed embedded in silky white floss (hence the common name of silk
floss tree). In its native territory, floss has been harvested for a number of
uses including stuffing pillows. Capsules split open in spring when ripe
releasing the seeds into the wind. This fruit rarely sets on trees grown
outside of tropical areas.
Winter hardy to
USDA Zones 9-10. Best with consistent moisture in humusy, well-drained soils in
full sun. Tolerates some light shade, but best flowering is in full sun. Trees
with established root systems have some drought tolerance. Leaves drop when
temperatures sink below 27 degrees F. Specimen tree. Flowering tree. This tree
may be grown in containers.
Growing Instructions
for the floss-silk tree.
1. Soak the
seed in water for 24 hours.
2. The seeds
like moist, well-drained soil. Prepare a mixture of half potting soil and half
sand, perlite or vermiculite. Put the soil in a pot. Water the mixture so that
it is moist but not wet.
3. Put the
seeds on the soil.
4. Cover the
seeds with a thin layer of soil.
5. Water the
seeds.
6. Place the
pots in an area with warm temperatures in full sun or part shade. The
seeds take 2-6 weeks to germinate.
7. When the
seedlings are a few inches tall, they can be transplanted.
Mateo (verified owner) –
These seeds came right up and started producing squash. Can’t ask for more than that.
Hayden (verified owner) –
They arrived very fresh and not bruised. They were delicious.
Angel (verified owner) –
They arrived very fresh and not bruised. They were delicious.
Matthew (verified owner) –
Great germination.
Jackson (verified owner) –
Great germination.