Friday, November 25, 2011

Chorisia insignis ..... Cream Silk Floss Tree





   cream/yellow/white silk flloss tree     

                         Flowering now in the garden is this lovely, young, drought tolerant tree originating from Southern Brazil and Argentina.  It begins flowering here in November  and continues until mid winter when the temperature falls too low and the leaves begin to drop.
The palmate leaves re-emerge in April.


Prominent spines cover the green/grey branches and trunk.




 The tree below is a large Chorisia Insignis that is located close to the "Plaza de la Marina" in Malaga,Spain.  At the base, this tree measures more than one meter in diameter.




 They are fairly common in the South of Spain along the Mediterranean coast, especially in Málaga. 
The reason that there are large specimens of tropical trees in Malaga is that there were several wealthy families in the city who owned shipping companies.
About 150-200 years ago, interest in Botany began to increase and these families had many different plants and trees brought back by their ships from tropical regions.
Most of these large family estates are now Public Parks and Gardens in Malaga.
                                             
Nearer to home, the 'Majeulo Garden' inAlmuñecar, just a twenty minute drive west of Motril, is known for its hundreds of palms and exotic trees that were brought here from all over the world. 
Each tree has an identifying name plate with it's species and originating country.