Why do kapok trees bloom first and then grow leaves?

Because the flowers and leaves of the kapok tree were formed last autumn and hidden in branches and buds. In the following spring, because the temperature required for flower bud growth is lower than that for leaf bud, as long as the temperature in early spring meets its growth needs, flower bud will gradually expand and open. After the temperature gradually rises and warms up, the leaf buds begin to germinate naturally, so there is a phenomenon that kapok trees bloom first and then grow leaves.

The origin of kapok is India, Malaysia and the Philippines. It is widely planted in southern China, Hongkong, Taiwan Province Province, Indian zhina Peninsula and Malay Archipelago with immigrants. According to ancient records in China, Zhao Tuo, king of South Vietnam, presented a kapok tree to the Han Dynasty in the 2nd century BC.

From February to April every year, flowers bloom first and leaves grow later. The flowers are large, five petals, obovate, with stellate hairs on both sides, orange-yellow or orange-red. Calyx dark brown, leathery. Kapok can be used as medicine, and dried fresh kapok is one of the main raw materials of herbal tea and spiced tea.

Oval capsules will be formed after flowering. Around May, the fruit will crack, and the oval seeds inside will be scattered with the wind along with the white cotton wool extending from the cells on the inner wall of the peel.

Cotton wool can replace cotton as the filling material of cotton-padded jacket, and can also be woven into flannel. Seeds contain 20-25% oil and can be squeezed into soap and machine oil; The pressed cotton cake can be used as fertilizer or livestock feed.

References:

Baidu encyclopedia-kapok