Pseudobombax ellipticum

Shaving-brush tree
Full sized stout tree in the ground, often cut back hard each winter in pots to create green ‘tortoise shell’ effect. Lush tropical foliage. Large white bottle brush flowers. Deciduous.
synonyms Bombax ellipticum
height 15–20
width 10–15
tolerates Heat, Pots
water
needs		 Moderate
water
info		 The shaving-brush tree grows on limestone outcroppings in Southern Mexico where it receives warm summer showers. Thus it appreciates a semi-dry winter rest, with ample water during summer, combined with good drainage. It adapts well to winter rains in Southern California, where it can be grown in the ground with good drainage. Further north it begrudgingly makes it through wet winters and is best grown in a pot with very sharp drainage. If winters are particularly wet and long you may find spots of brown rot on this plant; they should be carved out, back to healthy green flesh. The plant usually recovers, as long as the rot isn’t in the crown, creating a pocket where more rain can collect. Growing this plant in a sheltered spot under an eve solves all these problems.
hardy
to		 28F
exposure Part Shade – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Requires Perfect Drainage, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose
origin Mexico
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 16, 17, 22–H2

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

Growing Notes

Cut branches back to the trunk, or just above each year to force a round caudex and the swollen, glowing green, tortoise shell effect that this plant is coveted for. Shy to flower in a pot, especially if cut back hard each year.
When grown in the ground the branches have an irregular branching pattern that makes a mesmerizing crown with time.
Fertilize only from spring though summer.
We have heard that this plant makes a good houseplant, but don’t have enough first hand experience to vouch for it. Give it a try in a sunny window and report back to us!

Special Interest

Members on our team have seen sloths in Venezuela slowly scouring the shaving-brush tree, devouring the flowers in slow motion. So cool!

There is a vibrant cerise flowering form of this plant, but it is exceedingly rare.

Besides the aesthetic form, leaves often emerge an attractive dark Burgundy color. This appears to be related to growing in hot direct sun, as it doesn’t happen when grown under greenhouse conditions.