COCHLOSPERMUM fraseri

The Kapok loses all its large-lobed leaves before flowering, which makes the flowering more obvious with showy yellow flowers 6-8cm across that occurs in loose heads on short stalks in spring.
The flowers are followed by egg-shaped capsules, 6-10 cm long, containing seeds.

The flowers are edible raw and are quite pleasant, although more than 90% water, they are surprisingly high in Vitamin C

Endemic to the top end of Australia.

Please Note: Although many of the traditional Bush Food and Medicine plants are now commercially produced in various forms we recommend you re-search these before using them as any form of food or medicine. Some parts of the plant may not be edible or some may need to be prepared before they are safe to eat or use in any way. We do our best to describe their traditional & modern uses. It is the purchaser's responsibility to ensure they are fit for their intended use.

Prefers light to medium soil in an open sunny position, drought and frost tender.

Grow notes:

Although seed can be sown most of the year in many parts of Australia seed is generally best sown in spring or autumn, avoid the coldest and hottest months of the year. The optimum germination temperature for germination is around 20-25°C for this species.

1. Sow seed on the surface of a porous seed-raising mix. The seed will lodge in the pores of the mix once watered.
2. Sprinkle a very light covering of the seed-raising mix over the seed. Do not bury the seed deeply.
3. Water with a fine mist spray to avoid disturbance of the seed.
4. Place in a warm shaded or semi-shaded position to avoid dying out.
5. Keep warm & moist, and avoid drying out or waterlogging the growing mix.
6. Germination generally occurs in around 21-42 days in the right conditions.

General note: Seeds of many natives are dormant and require specific conditions or pre-treatment for germination.
Do not be too hasty to discard seed that does not germinate, seeds will often lay dormant until the conditions are similar to their natural requirements for germination to occur. Containers put to one side will often surprise long after they were discarded.