Floss Silk Tree

Floss Silk Tree
Ceiba speciosa
(SAY-buh) (spee-see-OH-suh)
Synonyms: Chorisia speciosa

It is always a treat for me to see a tropical tree in flower. This tree is one that I had seen before in Southern Florida but it looked more beautiful blooming in Southern California. The flowers were held high off the ground and this is as close as I could get with the 60mm lens.

Ceiba speciosa is native to South America and has several unusual attributes. One is the sharp and large thorns that completely cover the trunk and some of the branches. These thorns hold water for the tree to use during dry times, which makes the species drought resistant. Another unusual feature of the bottle shaped trunk is that has some green visible in younger specimens. This due to the high chlorophyll content that allows the tree to perform photosynthesis even when the leaves are off (the tree is deciduous).

All in all this was a really nice sight with the green leaves and multicolored flowers against a blue, blue California sky.

For more flower pictures from around the world check out:
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Since it is Sunday that means a bonus flower.


Phlox
Phlox paniculata
(floks) (pan-ick-yoo-LAY-tuh)

There are so many cultivars of Garden Phlox now that I can’t even guess what this one is. It was growing in Central Park when I visited during the summer. Garden Phlox is a garden classic and makes a good backbone in any perennial border.