Palo Borracho Bloom in Buenos Aires 2025
An unusual tree that grows in Buenos Aires and is called the "drunken tree"
Best time: January–April
This tree has several names—silk floss tree, seiba, and palo borracho. The popular name is the drunken tree, which is how its name is translated from Spanish. Its trunk really resembles the shape of a bottle (a swollen beer-belly shape as Argentineans say). Young trees are covered with thick conical spines, which are needed to accumulate moisture in case of drought.
In spring you can notice large seed pods covered in hard green shells.
From January to April the crown of palo borracho is decorated with large flowers 10-15 centimetres in diameter, similar to lilies, but completely odourless. The flowers can be bright pink, yellow, or white.
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Authors: Eleonora Provozin
