Oh no!
How many times a year does this happen? You poor thing!
The guy across the street from me has some tall bamboo, and once in a while if it gets REAL windy, some sort of "wrappers"(shed skins, or whatever they are) will blow off the stalks and over into my yard. Of course, my problem isn't nearly as severe as yours.
Do kapok roots wander all over the neighborhood interfering with sewage systems like banyan and ficus do?

I have general rules about trees:

- Ideally trees work for me (fruit or flowers) and I do nothing.
- Next, I like trees that work for me if I work a little for them.
- Trees that are non-interference are somewhat tolerable.
- Trees that do a little for me but make me work a lot, like Magnolias, get cut down and replaced in time.
- Trees that make me work and do nothing to help me out, like pine trees, sycamores, etc, get cut down and replaced by trees at the top of this list immediately!

Sounds like Kapok is in one of the last categories...

Just out of curiosity, what do your Magnolias do to cause you work? All we do is throw a litle fertilizer on them from time to time.

Should I be doing something else?

I have a Southern Magnolia ('Magnolia Grandiflora'). On the plus side: huge, provides lots and lots of good shade, is evergreen so it protects the plants beneath it in winter. On the minus side: constantly drops huge leaves that have to be shredded to use as mulch. Did I say lots of huge leaves, leaves, leaves? You can see the leaf trash in the photos below. But I still love it and for me, it is a keeper.

Carol in Jax

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In 2006

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In 2009

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In 2012

I've a hunch slopfrog was referring to raking in his/her post above. Altho for me, leaves & pine needles are welcome, a.k.a. free compost & mulch.

& Carol in Jax, I have 2 words for you: mulching mower = )

You're right. A mulching mower is great! I have one. :)

Oh, I get it. Guess I'm not too quick today. I love my magnolias, which are doing well despite being located in the tropics. They have huge white blooms now.

I just realised I never answered brute's question - the tree only does this once a year, but this year is a bumper crop, seemingly.

& I noticed that the upwind neighbor's yard is now covered as well.

& I just wrote to Floridata correcting them on the propagation info they have for kapok - they say it rarely sets seed in cultivation - hah!

Here is a link that might be useful: Kapok

EUCALYPTUS, too!!!! My neighbor has one that her grandmother planted YEARS ago that is right next to the fence. I produces white flowers, which aren't too messy, but sure irritate my allergies. The bark peels and falls all over the yard. And I swear every seed that falls sprouts and I have to yank! ...not to mention that the branches break very easily in a strong wind. I don't know how the thing withstood Charlie. I really worry about it during hurricane season!

Becca

My neighbors are cows and they don't hate me. In the evenings they come to the fence and sing to me and make MOO-SIC ... I think the cows are hiding in the grass during the day.

Lou

Haha - you never know, Lou - they may be plotting against you right now....

You all are right about the leaves. The seed pods are bad too, and I hate the THUNK when you run over them with a mower. And unless you pick the pods up the mulching mower will get all jammed up with them.

When I was a kid, I grew up in a house with four HUGE magnolias. I mean these things were 40 or 50 feet' tall, the biggest I've ever seen. My mother loved them so much, and thought of them as something out of Gone With The Wind.... But guess who had to pick up the seeds and rake ALL THOSE LEAVES EVERY WEEK? Ugh! I like the flowers but no way would I have another one in my yard.

Heh, I grew up with a big magnolia tree in the yard, too. My brother and I got to rake leaves and pick up seed cones. I remember raking leaves especially. The prongs of the rake pierced the leaves, which then stuck to the rake - I'd have to keep stopping to clear the rake every few minutes. Dad hated the tree, too. But Mom loved it, and wouldn't let him cut it down.

I still think they are beautiful trees, and the blooms are spectacular. But I prefer to admire them in someone else's yard now.

Yes! They would definitely get stuck in the tines! That was in the days before the big plastic rakes that everyone uses now!

just flip the rake over and drag it a foot or so to clear the tines of leaves..... works every time!

Lou