The silk floss trees are blooming in Los Angeles right now.
I’ve seen them blooming along the 101 Freeway, in front of office buildings and this one, which is blooming in front of a DWP station with a drought tolerant theme.
Chorisia speciosa trees are native to south America. They grow up to 60 feet tall and are hardy to about 20 degrees.
They are known for their hot pink flowers but there is a white flowering version too. We even have a Los Angeles Beautiful version.
Silk Floss trees have bright green trunks usually covered with giant spines. Since the purpose of my weekly floral photos is to calm everyone down after a long frazzling week, I’m skipping the thorns for you.
The glowing pink flowers have five petals, usually with a white center. Trees lose their leaves after flowering in the late autumn.
The name silk floss comes from the seed pods which have a cottony white floss inside.