Ceiba Speciosa

The floss silk tree (Ceiba Speciosa, formerly Chorisia Speciosa), is a species of deciduous tree native to the tropical and subtropical forests of South America. It belongs to the same family as the Baobab and the Kapok trees.

Resisting to drought, its trunk is bottle-shaped, generally bulging in its lower third. It is studded with thick conical prickles which serve to store water for dry times. In younger trees, the trunk is green due to its high chlorophyll content, which makes it capable of performing photosynthesis when leaves are absent; with age it turns to gray. The branches tend to be horizontal and are also covered with prickles. This tree is in its deciduous period and only a few leaves and purple flowers remain. You can tell this is a young tree because its trunk is green. Don't climb it, you'll be all red and wet!