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Ceiba speciosa

Other Name Silk Floss Tree Location Melbourne Zoological Gardens, Elliott Street,, PARKVILLE VIC 3052 - Property No T12185 File Number T12185 Level Regional

[1/2] T12185 Ceiba speciosa [2/2] T12185 Ceiba speciosa

Statement of Significance

Horticultural value
Rare or localised
Aesthetic significance
Curious growth form

This Silk Floss Tree (Ceiba speciosa) is located in the snow leopard enclosure at the Melbourne Zoological Gardens which were established in 1862 are one of State's most treasured gardens. The gardens are not only home to thousands of animals but also approximately 70,000 plant specimens.
Silk Floss Trees are rarely grown in Melbourneand could be an important source of propagating stock. The tree makes an important contribution to the snow leopard enclose, providing an interesting aesthetic of a tropical plant and an arctic animal. The tree exhibits a curious natural growth with spiny trunk. The tree is indicative of design characteristics which clearly differentiate the different periods of development such as the influences of Albert Le Souef and the late Victorian era with its penchant for specimen trees.