Meet me
Simal
Bombax ceiba
In late winter the simal drops every leaf and covers itself in huge red flowers instead. Birds come from everywhere to drink.
Protected under Nepali law
Doing okay
02
Where I live
03
My story
- 01The seed pods burst open into soft white cotton that floats across the fields like snow.
- 02A young simal trunk is covered in hard cone-shaped spikes that fall off as it grows old.
04
What’s happening to me
Rising heat
How serious2/5Simal now flowers earlier, and the birds that feed on it do not always arrive at the new time.
Invasive plants
How serious2/5Young simal need open ground to start. Thick invasive undergrowth stops the seedlings before they get going.
05
How you can help me
07
For grown-ups
- Scientific name
- Bombax ceiba
- Family
- Malvaceae