Spiky Silk Cotton Tree

Ceiba speciosa – Collectors Corner, Keysborough

One of the most eye catching plants you can see in Collectors Corner, Keysborough (outer suburb of Melbourne) is this spiky tree. It is a Ceiba tree or also known as Silk Cotton tree, Silk Floss tree or Kapok tree. Apparently this native South American tree consists of more than ten species, like for examples: Ceiba acuminata, insignis, pentandra, rosea, speciosa etc. Some of the species like Ceiba pentandra (Kapok Tree) has become a common tree grown in Asia.