Thai Botanic
Bombax ceiba, red silk-cotton tree, grown root-balled for export in Thailand

Bombax ceiba

Red silk-cotton tree, kapok · Malvaceae · Deciduous canopy tree

A large statement tree with a buttressed trunk and horizontal branch structure, carrying large red flowers on bare wood at the end of the dry season. Specified where a scheme needs a single tree to hold a space.

Specification

Mature height20–25 m
Crown spread10–15 m [to confirm]
Calliper range supplied5–22 cm standard, measured 1 m above soil level. Larger by arrangement.
Root-ball diameter120–180 cm [to confirm]
Growth rateFast
HabitDeciduous — leafless when flowering
FloweringLarge red cup-shaped flowers on bare branches, late dry season
Minimum order quantity[to confirm]

Landscape use

Parks, large open landscapes, civic and institutional grounds, and feature planting where the mature scale can be accommodated. The trunk and branch architecture are as much of the effect as the flowers.

This is a tree for open ground. Given room away from structures and paving, the buttressed trunk and spreading root flare become part of the display, and the scale is what makes it worth planting.

Site tolerance

DroughtModerate to high once established
SalinityLow [to confirm]
WindModerate — soft wood, brittle in storms
SoilDeep, well-drained soil preferred. Poor performance where root run is restricted.
HeatHigh
USDA zone10–12

Export notes

Supplied root-balled and wrapped. Larger calliper stock in this species carries a heavier root ball, which affects container loading. Phytosanitary certification accompanies every shipment. [Container quantities and lead times to confirm.]

Gallery

Bombax ceiba
Bombax ceiba
Bombax ceiba

For available sizes and current stock in this species, message us on WhatsApp at +66 93 425 9892 or email contact@thaibotanic.com — or browse the species catalogue. This is one of the species we grow and supply regularly. Where a design calls for something outside our usual range, we source it through the nursery network we have worked with for years, given reasonable notice.