Salmalia Malabarica, Cotton Tree - 0.5 kg Seeds

The Red Silk Cotton or Semal (Salmalia malabarica, syn. Bombax ceiba) is a massive deciduous tree with a buttressed, prickly trunk and tiered branches. In late winter the bare crown blazes with large, cup-shaped red flowers before the leaves return, followed by capsules that burst into white silky kapok floss.

Native and common throughout the plains and lower hills of India, it is a striking ornamental and avenue tree; the soft, light timber is used for matchsticks, plywood and packing, the floss stuffs pillows and mattresses, and the flowers, gum and roots feature in traditional medicine. The nectar-rich blooms attract a host of birds and bees.

• Family: Malvaceae (formerly Bombacaceae)
• Native region: Indian subcontinent and tropical Asia
• Mature height: 20-40 m
• Growth rate: fast

Separate the small seeds from the cottony floss and soak them in water for 12-24 hours before sowing. Sow shallowly, about 1 cm deep, in a sandy seed-tray mix kept warm and moist; germination is quick, usually 7-14 days. Pot up the fast-growing seedlings promptly and transplant them out at the start of the rains.