Kapok Trees of Florida: Ceiba pentandra and Bombax ceiba

Abstract

Kapok trees are tropical deciduous hardwood trees that flower and develop seed pods that contain kapok, a fiber known in English as silk cotton.  The two most important kapok species are Bombax ceiba (bombax) and Ceiba pentandra (ceiba), both of which were introduced to Florida in the late nineteenth century, mostly as ornamental trees to grace private estates and botanical gardens. The red-flowering bombax was imported to Clearwater from South Asia, and today it proliferates primarily along Florida’s west coast.  The white-flowering ceiba, a sacred tree of the Maya, was introduced to Palm Beach and Miami/Key West, and it is found mostly in south and southeast Florida.  Both species are sensitive to freezes, the ceiba slightly more so than the bombax.  Internet sources—including newspaper articles, floral surveys, iNaturalist listings, and blog postings—coupled with fieldwork conducted from early 2020 to late 2023 produced an inventory of 144 living kapok trees (94 bombaxes, 50 ceibas), not counting nursery stocks or newly planted trees.  These are spread among botanical gardens, private estates, parks, public buildings and grounds, and private residential properties.  Over half (52) of bombax trees are on residential lots but only one-tenth (5) of ceiba trees are.  A recent trend is to relocate trophy trees such as ceibas to private estates, condominium complexes, shopping malls, and public grounds.

Keywords:  kapok, Bombax ceiba, bombax, Ceiba pentandra, ceiba, tropical trees, Florida