[3] The genus is best known for the species Bombax ceiba, which is widely cultivated throughout tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world.

The tree fibers are 100% cellulose, able to float, impervious to water, and have a low thermal conductivity.

Called Kapok in Asia, the fibers are mainly used for insulation in sleeping bags and life preservers.

They bear five to ten cm long red flowers between January and March while the tree is still leafless.

The ovary matures into a husk containing seeds covered by a fibre similar to that of the kapok (Ceiba pentandra) and to cotton, though with shorter fibres than cotton, that does not lend itself to spinning, making it unusable as a textile product.