Palos Borachos (Drunken Sticks): Argentina's Spiny Flowering Trees

Palos Borachos (Drunken Sticks): Argentina's Spiny Flowering Trees

A traveler to Argentina encountered spectacular flowering trees called "Palos Borachos" or "Drunken Sticks," with spiny trunks and pink lily-like flowers in fall. The description was cut off, but these are likely Ceiba speciosa (formerly Chorisia speciosa), the silk floss tree.

These tropical trees are not cold-hardy in most of the U.S. but are stunning in frost-free climates. Their massive, bottle-shaped trunks are covered in conical spines, and they produce abundant pink, orchid-like blooms in autumn.