spikey bark

bkk_alien · 11th January 2009, 11:03 PM

i met this tree in a public park in central thailand - those thorns are really hard and unbreakable. any idea what it is and whether it is a native tree? any clues very apreciated!

treefeller · 11th January 2009, 11:22 PM

I would say that its the bark from the flowering Kapok Tree.

The tree grows to 60-70 m tall and has a very substantial trunk up to 3 m in diameter with buttresses. The trunk and many of the larger branches are densely crowded with very large, robust simple thorns. The leaves are compound of 5 to 9 leaflets, each up to 20 cm and palm like. Adult trees produce several hundred 15 cm seed pods.

treefeller · 11th January 2009, 11:24 PM

Also welcome to Tree World

bkk_alien · 11th January 2009, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treefeller

Also welcome to Tree World

thanks a million and spot on - looks like that's the one!

Eric Frei · 12th January 2009, 12:02 AM

How the heck did you know it was a Kapok tree when you're in England?

TreeDimensional · 12th January 2009, 01:34 AM

Ah, finally a tree that is getting even with the guys that only climb with spurs!

I would bet that anyone using amsteel rope wouldn't want to get near that thing!

There are some wild and crazy trees in Thiland, would be #2 on my list of places to visit.

treefeller · 12th January 2009, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ekka

How the heck did you know it was a Kapok tree when you're in England?

Coz im brilliant

Therrin · 12th January 2009, 09:13 AM

Okay how about this one?
The needles can be razor sharp. They're very difficult to work with.

treevet · 12th January 2009, 12:06 PM

Don't want to try any questionable moves in this Honey locust (Gleditsia) either.

treefeller · 12th January 2009, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Therrin

Okay how about this one?
The needles can be razor sharp. They're very difficult to work with.

Looks like a Joshua tree

tcs · 14th January 2009, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treefeller

Looks like a Joshua tree

Climbing in a Honey Locust can be a little awkward, I always wondered about the Silk Floss tree.....anyone out there worked in one?

JohN Dee · 14th January 2009, 07:24 PM

The honey locust has nothing on those Kapok trees. Least on the honey locust you can cut off the spikes

Hey bkk, can you post a full picture of the tree?

treevet · 15th January 2009, 12:20 AM

Friend climber of mine had a honey locust (dead, petrified) go thru the palm of his hand and come out the other side. They will give a truck flat tires on the ground.

Steve Tipton · 18th January 2009, 08:09 PM

And go straight thru a work boot!

newguy18 · 19th January 2009, 12:57 AM

I've only had the displeasure of removing 2 honey locust,thank God they were drop and leave.

Therrin · 19th January 2009, 06:51 PM

Treefeller, yes, it's a Joshua tree.... I'm sure you can look them up on yahoo or google just as easily as I can =)

Unless you live in our particular region of the world (specifically), then you wont have to deal with them. And if you DONT have to deal with them, then you've been giving a huge blessing by the higher power out there which points and laughs at all of our futile efforts in the mean time.

Those things are a BITCH to work on. I wear full welding leathers and still get stuck like mad. Supposedly they grow 1" - 3" every year, and some of them are quite large. The spikes on them will penetrate anything known to man just short of metal though.

treefeller · 19th January 2009, 07:19 PM

Glad i dont have to dealwith them over here

Bernard Keays · 22nd January 2009, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by treefeller

I would say that its the bark from the flowering Kapok Tree.

The tree grows to 60-70 m tall and has a very substantial trunk up to 3 m in diameter with buttresses. The trunk and many of the larger branches are densely crowded with very large, robust simple thorns. The leaves are compound of 5 to 9 leaflets, each up to 20 cm and palm like. Adult trees produce several hundred 15 cm seed pods.

I'm not familiar with the Kapok Tree is it similar to the False Silk Tree 'Chorisia speciosa'. It has sharp thorns like the ones depicted in the photo.

tcs · 23rd January 2009, 12:19 AM

Seems apparent that this tree most likely is a Floss Silk Tree after all, Kapoks have (normally) quite a root flare, buttress etc ,but dont have those bark thorns.
The Floss Silk is a more sub tropically zoned /located tree which I've only seen in Southern cal/Florida & Mexico.Climb safe all. Mark . TCS.

treesandsurf · 29th January 2009, 01:57 AM

It does not look like the Kapok tree to me. My first guess was the Sandbox tree.

Sandbox Tree - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Could also be the Silk Floss Tree; hard to tell without pics of the canopy.

jp

Robert STAVROU · 18th February 2009, 01:25 PM

You might find this site Chorisia useful for Ceiba or Chorisia. Stav

Eric Frei · 19th February 2009, 06:50 PM

Worked in a yard today that had two.

Owner said the were Bombax trees aka Kapok.

They were in flower, definately Chorisia, flower was a perfect match, customer was wrong. See below for differences.

Chorisia below

Bombax aka Kapok below

Now, spikey bark.

Both have the same, however the Chorisia is greenish and the other grey. As we see no pictures of flowers or entire tree and bkk_alien's pics appear to show no green tinge I reckon we're most likely looking at Bombax aka Kapok.

11th January 2009, 11:03 PM	#1
bkk_alien I'm new here so be nice Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: thailand Posts: 2	spikey bark i met this tree in a public park in central thailand - those thorns are really hard and unbreakable. any idea what it is and whether it is a native tree? any clues very apreciated! Last edited by Eric Frei; 28th April 2011 at 08:38 PM. Reason: image links are dead, hence rule 3.1

11th January 2009, 11:24 PM	#3
treefeller Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: aaa Posts: 224	Re: spikey bark Also welcome to Tree World

12th January 2009, 12:02 AM	#5
Eric Frei Admin - Owner Palm & Tree Services in Brisbane Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 12,994	Re: spikey bark How the heck did you know it was a Kapok tree when you're in England? __________________ Protect your rights to work - Join Australian Tree Association My businesses:- Qualified Brisbane Palm and Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane \| Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist

12th January 2009, 01:34 AM	#6
TreeDimensional Mature Tree Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 421	Re: spikey bark Ah, finally a tree that is getting even with the guys that only climb with spurs! I would bet that anyone using amsteel rope wouldn't want to get near that thing! There are some wild and crazy trees in Thiland, would be #2 on my list of places to visit.

12th January 2009, 09:13 AM	#8
Therrin Former Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bakersfield, Ca Posts: 2,497	Re: spikey bark Okay how about this one? The needles can be razor sharp. They're very difficult to work with. Attached Thumbnails

11th January 2009, 11:22 PM	#2
treefeller Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: aaa Posts: 224	Re: spikey bark I would say that its the bark from the flowering Kapok Tree. The tree grows to 60-70 m tall and has a very substantial trunk up to 3 m in diameter with buttresses. The trunk and many of the larger branches are densely crowded with very large, robust simple thorns. The leaves are compound of 5 to 9 leaflets, each up to 20 cm and palm like. Adult trees produce several hundred 15 cm seed pods.

12th January 2009, 12:06 PM	#9
treevet Monument Status Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Posts: 2,119	Re: spikey bark Don't want to try any questionable moves in this Honey locust (Gleditsia) either. Attached Thumbnails

14th January 2009, 07:24 PM	#12
JohN Dee Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Climbing around the world Posts: 848	Re: spikey bark The honey locust has nothing on those Kapok trees. Least on the honey locust you can cut off the spikes Hey bkk, can you post a full picture of the tree? __________________ We are what we repeatedly do... Excellence then, is not an act, but HABIT... Red : Green : Blue

15th January 2009, 12:20 AM	#13
treevet Monument Status Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Posts: 2,119	Re: spikey bark Friend climber of mine had a honey locust (dead, petrified) go thru the palm of his hand and come out the other side. They will give a truck flat tires on the ground.

18th January 2009, 08:09 PM	#14
Steve Tipton Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney Posts: 821	Re: spikey bark And go straight thru a work boot! __________________ Heightmaster

19th January 2009, 12:57 AM	#15
newguy18 Part of the Furniture Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: orlando,fl Posts: 4,948	Re: spikey bark I've only had the displeasure of removing 2 honey locust,thank God they were drop and leave. __________________ Have your say join us today. old schooler

19th January 2009, 06:51 PM	#16
Therrin Former Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bakersfield, Ca Posts: 2,497	Re: spikey bark Treefeller, yes, it's a Joshua tree.... I'm sure you can look them up on yahoo or google just as easily as I can =) Unless you live in our particular region of the world (specifically), then you wont have to deal with them. And if you DONT have to deal with them, then you've been giving a huge blessing by the higher power out there which points and laughs at all of our futile efforts in the mean time. Those things are a BITCH to work on. I wear full welding leathers and still get stuck like mad. Supposedly they grow 1" - 3" every year, and some of them are quite large. The spikes on them will penetrate anything known to man just short of metal though.

19th January 2009, 07:19 PM	#17
treefeller Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: aaa Posts: 224	Re: spikey bark Glad i dont have to dealwith them over here

23rd January 2009, 12:19 AM	#19
tcs Sappling Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: NY & PA USA Posts: 14	Re: spikey bark Seems apparent that this tree most likely is a Floss Silk Tree after all, Kapoks have (normally) quite a root flare, buttress etc ,but dont have those bark thorns. The Floss Silk is a more sub tropically zoned /located tree which I've only seen in Southern cal/Florida & Mexico.Climb safe all. Mark . TCS.

29th January 2009, 01:57 AM	#20
treesandsurf Sappling Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Northern California Posts: 25	Re: spikey bark It does not look like the Kapok tree to me. My first guess was the Sandbox tree. Sandbox Tree - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Could also be the Silk Floss Tree; hard to tell without pics of the canopy. jp

18th February 2009, 01:25 PM	#21
Robert STAVROU Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 56	Re: spikey bark You might find this site Chorisia useful for Ceiba or Chorisia. Stav __________________ STAV

19th February 2009, 06:50 PM	#22
Eric Frei Admin - Owner Palm & Tree Services in Brisbane Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 12,994	Re: spikey bark Worked in a yard today that had two. Owner said the were Bombax trees aka Kapok. They were in flower, definately Chorisia, flower was a perfect match, customer was wrong. See below for differences. Chorisia below Bombax aka Kapok below Now, spikey bark. Both have the same, however the Chorisia is greenish and the other grey. As we see no pictures of flowers or entire tree and bkk_alien's pics appear to show no green tinge I reckon we're most likely looking at Bombax aka Kapok. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Protect your rights to work - Join Australian Tree Association My businesses:- Qualified Brisbane Palm and Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane \| Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist

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