The raffle just wouldn't be complete without our Raffleator Kevin at the lead, stirring things up, and getting us all excited!
Jim’s Plant of the Month:
This months jewels are the kapok and its relatives, the
floss silk tree and the silk cotton tree. I’ve 
heard a lot of reference to
these the last few months, and noted the confusion of names. When not in bloom,
they appear very similar. All kapok relatives have the same spiny trunk, which
is green while the tree is young. And all have large green seed pods filled
with a cottony down. This is a good time to discuss their 
differences, though,
since the most spectacular of the trio is in full bloom this month. Bombax ceiba, the silk cotton tree, is
a kapok relative native from India
to Australia.
Its large, red, waxy flowers cover the tree and the ground beneath it during
February and March. Make sure you have plenty of room if you want to plant one.
They grow fast, eventually reaching 75 feet high, with trunks many feet in
diameter, and buttress roots that spread out from the trunk. Not a good choice
right next to the driveway or the house.
The floss silk tree, Chorisia speciosa, is a pink flowered
tree from Brazil
and Argentina.
There is also a white flowered species from Argentina,
Chorisia insignis. They are both very
fast growing when young, but slow down as they age. 
They are very impressive specimen trees, a
little better behaved than the silk cotton tree, but not quite as spectacular.
The true kapok, Ceiba pentandra, is from South
America. Its flowers are creamy white, and much smaller than those
of either the silk cotton or the floss silk tree. While its spiny trunk and
seed pods filled with fluff may be impressive, its flowers really aren’t.
All these members of the family Bombacaceae like abundant or
regular water when young, becoming a little more drought tolerant when older.
They generally drop their leaves before flowering. They need full sun, well
drained soil, and lots of space!
Club officer contact
President: Jim Nevers, president@rakesandbladesfl.com
Vice President: Ann Allen, vicepres@rakesandbladesfl.com
Treasurer: Gary Raush, treasurer@rakesandbladesfl.com
Secretary: Bruce Bates, secretary@rakesandbladesfl.com
Newsletter: Bryan Hopper, newsletter@rakesandbladesfl.com
Photographer: Brad Hissing, photos@rakesandbladesfl.com
Raffleator: Kevin Ritter, raffles@rakesandbladesfl.com
Social Director: Michael Argrew, socialdirector@rakesandbladesfl.com
Program Coordinator: Brian Cahill, programs@rakesandbladesfl.com
Host Coordinators: Ann Allen, Marty Volpe, hosting@rakesandbladesfl.com
Potluck Committee:
Marty Volpe, Scott Hoffman, Dani Skrzypek, Jeffrey Davis
potluck@rakesandbladesfl.com
If you are interested in adding some plumeria to your garden, Scott and
Joe have the variety Celadine available for sale. They are
selling cuttings of their plumeria that will benefit the club.
Please check out the ad in the garden talk forum.
