Red silk cotton tree

Bombax ceiba

Range: Tropical Asia

This is one of the world’s most spectacular flowering trees. In the dry season, after all its leaves have fallen, it bears masses of giant bright red flowers. Native to the Asian tropics, it is widely planted as a street tree and in parks. Its flowers are edible and are used in Chinese and Thai cuisine. Called “silk cotton tree,” its fruits are filled with cottony fiber that surrounds the seeds.