Two years ago, in 2018, I went to Bhopal to attend a wedding in March.
Stepping out of the airport I hailed a cab to proceed to my hotel. Just after we exited the airport’s toll collection kiosk, I spotted a leafless Red Silk Cotton in full bloom. It was an amazing sight and a picture of that tree is included in this post.
Going around Bhopal and visiting Sanchi, about an hour away from Bhopal, I found Red Silk Cotton trees along the highway. The five-petalled flowers drop their petals below a tree and make the ground appear carpeted red. Bees are attracted to the flowers of Red Silk Cotton.
A thorny tree, the Red Silk Cotton is not related to cotton. It bears pods that have white fibers around the seeds. The smooth silky fiber is soft and is used to stuff pillows. Pillows used for children are sometimes filled with silk cotton. The fibers help the seeds to be carried in the air and help the tree to disperse its seeds for new growth.
I have found Red Silk Cotton bloom in Thane too. This month, I stopped by on Swastik Residency Road just to click the picture of a Red Silk Cotton in full bloom. The picture of the thorny trunk in this post is from a tree I spotted along the water pipeline that runs perpendicular to the Balkum-Saket Road.
Clicking Red Silk Cotton trees is tricky. They are very large and a photographer has to be at quite a distance to cover the whole tree in one frame. Also, the flowers are very delicate and when they fall down they are not suitable for you to take a picture. And when on the tree, they are at a height you can’t reach!
Anyway, you don’t have to worry about clicking pictures of Red Silk Cotton. I have done it for you!
This is one more summer flower that you can enjoy across India.