Bombax ceiba

Simul, Red Silk Cotton Tree, Cotton Tree, Kapok

Message of the Flower

Solid Steadfastness in the Material Consciousness

The Mother’s Comment

The material consciousness has a firm and solid steadfastness.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

Consciousness is a fundamental thing, it is the fundamental thing in existence—it is the energy, the action, the movement of consciousness that creates the universe and all that is in it—not only the macrocosm, but the microcosm is nothing but consciousness arranging itself.

Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - I: Sachchidananda: Existence, Consciousness-Force and Bliss

Consciousness is made up of two elements, awareness of self and things and forces and conscious power. Awareness is the first thing necessary, you have to be aware of things in the right consciousness, in the right way, seeing them in their truth; but awareness by itself is not enough. There must be a Will and a Force that make the consciousness effective.

Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - I: Sachchidananda: Existence, Consciousness-Force and Bliss

The only thing that is truly effective is the change of consciousness; it is the inner liberation through an intimate, constant union, absolute and inevitable, with the vibration of the supramental forces. The preoccupation of every second, the will of all the elements of the being, the aspiration of the entire being, including all the cells of the body, is this union with the supramental forces, the divine forces. And there is no longer any need at all to be preoccupied with what the consequences will be. What has to be in the play of the universal forces and their manifestation will be, quite naturally, spontaneously, automatically, there is no need to be preoccupied with it. The only thing that matters is the constant, total, complete contact—constant, yes, constant—with the Force, the Light, the Truth, the Power, and that ineffable delight of the supramental consciousness.

The Mother, Questions and Answers 1957 - 1958: 12 June 1957

Colour

Deep red

Family

Malvaceae

Person who named the flower

Carl Linnaeus

Flower Size

Up to 6 inches in diameter

Flower Texture

Soft and silky

Number of Petals

Five

Floral Symmetry

Radial

Fragrance of Flower

Mildly fragrant

Leaf Texture

Rough, leathery

Leaf Arrangement

Palmate

Leaf Color

Bright green

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Tree

Life Cycle

Perennial

Blooming Period

Late winter to early spring

Climate

Tropical and subtropical

Water Requirements

Moderate, drought-tolerant once established

Soil Type

Well-drained, fertile, adaptable

Temperature Ranges

Warm climates, not frost-tolerant

Sun or Shade

Full sun

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Leaf and root diseases, caterpillars, aphids

Pollinators

Bees, birds, bats

Habitat

Tropical Asia, widely planted and naturalized globally

Role in the Ecosystem

Habitat and food for wildlife, nesting material for birds

Quotations

Not specifically quoted

Ornamental

Valued for striking flowers and stature

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Construction, musical instruments

Endangered Status

Not endangered, habitat destruction concerns