Ceiba speciosa (formerly Chorisia speciosa, silk floss tree, toborochi tree, drunken tree) - Aspire Park in Doha, Qatar - photography by terp16 on Panoramio

The silk floss tree belongs to the same family as baobab and the kapok and is native to tropical and subtropical forests of South America. Its trunk is bottle-shaped, generally bulging in its lower third, measuring up to 2 meters in girth. The tree is also well known for the large spikes protecting the trunk and the limbs, however the spikes are prominent when the tree is young. 

The silk floss tree is rated among the most beautiful trees in the world due to its spectacular blooming with thousands of flowers in pink, white and purple. The tree is resistant to drought and moderate cold. It is cultivated for ornamental purposes. Outside gardens around the world, it is often planted along urban streets in subtropical areas such as in South Africa, Australia, northern New Zealand and southern USA.