I have just returned from the west coast of Italy, just south of Rome, where I saw several trees of the type which interested me. It grows to a height of about thirty feet, has leaves resembling those of a sweet chestnut and flowers like pink lillies (one tree of the same type had white flowers.) which were in flower in late September, early October. The trunk and branches are covered with thorns. If you could help identify the tree, I should be most grateful.
Hi Jeremy, I am not familiar with the flora of Italy, but the tree you are describing has many of the characteristic features of Chorisia speciosa or Kapok tree. This tree grows in the deep southern US which I would think is (fairly) comparable. The thorns, flowers and time of flowering sound right. Check it out. Good luck.
