Silk floss tree

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Leisure · Subcategory: Singular trees

This magnificent deciduous specimen, commonly known as the silk floss tree (Ceiba speciosa), stands at the junction of Calle del Castillo and Calle Robayna.
Almost ten metres tall in its dense crown, with a cylindrical trunk of nearly three metres in girth and conical spines, this tree from the tropical and subtropical forests of the Americas has settled well in Santa Cruz, as its size and condition show.
The specimen is at its most spectacular in late summer and autumn (September to November), when its flowers — white or cream on the lower petals and pink or purple above — put on a striking display.
The fruits are large oblong capsules holding many seeds and cotton-like fibres used, among other things, to stuff cushions.
The city has many other trees of this species, in places such as Paseo de la Concordia and other central streets.

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