it is a Red Silk Cotton Tree....The tree blooms in March and April for two glorious months of color, not a leaf on it, just the fruit and flowers that look like red lilies to me.
The tree is widely planted in Malay, Indonesia, south China, Hong Kong and Taiwan and India, and is a common in our sub tropics here in Central Florida
the fruit is used as a substitute for cotton and the flowers for herbal tea.
The trunk has lots of thorns on it to protect the tree from animals, like elephants rubbing on it and turning it over. (no elephants here in Florida that I know of)
Are you gasping YET? if not you Will when you see the crazy photographer....
21 comments:
Gorgeous blooms and long lasting too, I wish some of our spring blooms would be around that long.
It's good to know the tree is safe from elephants! :)
"GASP" oh my that is beautiful. how interesting that there are no leaves. So when the blooms are done what is on this tree then?
love the blog.
That shadow looks like a Madsnapper, she's every where.
I noticed the tree when I went to the library the other day. Of course, unlike the MadSnapper, I was without my camera.
The tree is beautiful. Thanks for researching it!
Gorgeous work by Mother Nature beautifully captured by you. Thanks for sharing. It's so refreshing to see here in the Heartland where spring is a little slower to wake.
The photographer is indeed gorgeous and I like her camera. She gets very good pictures with it. The tree is absolutely beautiful.
Wow, this tree is really something else, from the blooms to the trunk! I was just as interested in the trunk, and clicked twice to make it really big and get a good look. They ARE thorns!! That rated another gasp! No elephants will be hanging out at the library! I'm assuming after it's done blooming, it gets leaves? I would like to see them when it does. Your camera may have been small, but at least you had one with you!!
Those are very pretty flowers but I probably didn't gasp as much as Hyacinth Bucket ("That's Bookay") would have wanted me to. (If you didn't get that, watch the British comedy "Keeping Up Appearances") I would think those tree trunks would draw the elephants because they have some good texture and the elephants have thick skin, but what do I know? We don't have many elephants in Utah either.
Oh Oh OH ----LOVE that red--especially agains the blue sky... Gorgeous!!!!!
BUT--even the red blossoms are not as pretty as the photographer taking the pictures.
Hugs,
Betsy
That is so cool! I learn so much from you, my friend!
A whole tree covered in 'lilies'.It is gorgeous.The photographer looks great too.
GASP!
They resemble an Orchid tree we have (except for the brown pods)..which is very tropical and color is fushia. Now coral trees..all the varieties I've seen here have thorns as well..I'm sure a big beast with a thick hide might find it a delightful scratching post! Our pigs have alway had striped marks on their backs from that. Maybe the elephants in Florida have sensitive hides (ha ha)
'GASP' she is as beautiful as the flowers - but I wonder if SHE knows that. sandie
I am gasping. It is a beautiful tree. I'm sorry I haven't visited you before. I will mend my ways.
that is a beautiful "gasp" sight ...
Yes I do!!
Gasp!!
Simply gorgeous blooms. The color is spectacular. Most Springtime blossoms are pastel so this is stunning.
Gorgeous blossoms, I have never seen this kind of tree before!
Amazing tree. A first for me!
A definite love at first sight! How lucky you are to have such beauty at this time. I still see ice and snow though much less now.
Does it finally get leaves for the summer?
I think it is gorgeous... but wouldn't want that cleanup underneath the tree.
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