Ceiba speciosa - Silk Tree

The silk tree is quite rare in Santa Cruz County. It's a medium to large semi-deciduous tree growing to 30-60' with a spread of about the same. Variable in form, some specimens are very broad while others tend to be more upright. Many examples I've seen south of SC are much wider than the images I have. Trees are unique with a large swollen trunk with prickles, large primary lateral branches upright but also can be going off in odd directions, (one of its common names is palo borracho = drunken stick). Beautiful in bloom. Formerly known as Chorisia speciosa.

Alternately arranged, palmately compound leaves, 6-12" diameter with 5-7 lanceolate to elliptic to oblanceolate leaflets each 3-5" long with slightly serrated margins. Petiole as long or longer than the leaf blade area.

Stems are covered with prickles, not spins, not thorns, but prickles. Usually dense when young, but as the trunk expands they tend not to produce more of them. I fell in love with this tree while attending Cal Poly. It was being grown by the department and I bought one and had it for years, actually leaving it in Petaluma with my in-laws while we went to Pullman for grad school, and it stayed there till they moved.

Flowers are pink with a light yellow or white throat, 5 thin petals, sort of lacy usually borne without leaves.

Fruit are oval to rounded pods 6-8" long opening up to reveal black seeds covered by cotton like hairs. Blooming in fall.

Green bark and stems, becoming gray with age.

Misidentification:

Hardly, with the stems covered with prickles. 

Location:

Aptos:

Corner of Rio Del Mar and Highland - Very nice tree

Capitola
4815 Crystal Ave is a small one.

4440 Opal Cliff Dr, 3 nice ones

Santa Cruz
City Hall has two of them.

Koelreuteria bipinnata - Chinese Flame Tree

The Chinese Flame tree is much more common in Santa Cruz than its relative K. paniculata (Golden Rain Tree). A medium sized deciduous tree with a broadly spreading to rounded crown to slightly upright. They are enjoyed for their beautiful flowers (not always seen here), interesting fruit and mildly attractive yellow fall color. Often single stemmed but can be seen multi-stemmed around town, Grows slow to 20-30'. Native to China. These are on Park in Aptos.

The foliage is bipinnately compound, quite large, 1-2' long, and about the same width. Side leaflets are compound with 8 or so leaflets, each about 2-3" long, elliptical with a pointed tip and entire (smooth) or slightly serrated margins and a strong stout petoile.

Young stems are thick, green with distinct lenticels. Notice the base of the petioles how they are grooved to make way for the bud. (I am sure there is a term for that, have to look it up someday.)

Older stems and truck are gray-brown with orange in the shallow fissures.

Flowers are very attractive, bright yellow on long racemes (unbranched), and develop late in summer, usually July or August, sometimes not at all.



Fruit is pretty interesting. The seeds are enclosed in a papery seed coat looking like a Japanese lantern. The fruit start out green but develop into an attractive pink or red late fall. They eventually turn brown.

Misidentification?
Well, could be the K. paniculata, look at the leaves 10-14" long vs almost 2 feet, leaflets which have toothed or lobes margins rather than entire, and the stems are not covered with lenticles.  This is also a bigger tree generally.
Might also be Alianthus altissima but the leaves are only pinnately compound but they do look sort of similar.

Location:
Aptos
As shown these are on Park Ave between the freeway and Soquel Dr.

Santa Cruz
Nice one downtown on Rose Alley off Chestnut.