Bombax malabaricum Seeds | Malabar Silk Cotton Tree
LATIN NAME: Bombax malabaricum (syn. Bombax ceiba)
COMMON NAME: Malabar Silk Cotton Tree
Plant Profile
Malabar Silk Cotton Tree (Bombax malabaricum, syn. Bombax ceiba) is a tall deciduous tree of the mallow family (Malvaceae), native to South and Southeast Asia and southern China. It reaches 20-30 m, with a spiny trunk when young, palmate leaves and large, cup-shaped, scarlet flowers that cover the bare branches in spring, followed by pods of silky floss. It is the ‘hero tree’ of South Asian towns and temples, and its flowers are eaten and medicinally used.
Science & Biotechnology
Bombax malabaricum (syn. Bombax ceiba) sits in the Bombax group, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Comparative genetic work across populations formerly split between these names has helped confirm their status as a single species. It is the kind of species that plant scientists reach for when they need reliable material for propagation and selection studies.
Uses & Benefits
Malabar Silk Cotton Tree brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. We would recommend checking our red silk cotton tree listing for more complete detail, since both entries describe the same tree. Once settled, it thrives on neglect more than on fussing.
The red silk-cotton tree is a street-tree icon of southern Asia; its flowers are dried for herbal teas and soups in Cantonese tradition, and the bark has folk records for cooling and skin uses.
Growing from Seed
Malabar Silk Cotton Tree grows readily from seed. Fresh seed is best; sow it into a loose, free-draining tropical mix and keep it warm and consistently moist. Bright light suits young tree well, following the same growing approach as for Bombax ceiba, since these represent the same species under different names. Scatter the seed evenly over a loose seed compost, cover to no more than its own depth, and keep the pot moist and bright. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
Our honest advice is simply to buy from whichever of our two Bombax listings you find first – since this is the same tree under an older name, there is no meaningful difference in what you will end up growing.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as Malabar Silk Cotton Tree: