Brachychiton Acerifolius 7 Seeds, Illawarra Flame Tree, Garden Kurrajong
The Plant Attraction
Brachychiton Acerifolius
Also known as: The Illawarra Flame Tree, Kurrajong.
A large tree of the family Malvaceae native to subtropical regions on the east coast of Australia. It is now famous and cultivated all over the world for the bright coral red bell-shaped flowers that often cover the whole tree when it is leafless. It is deciduous which means it will lose all or most of its leaves during the dry season, and flower in the early Spring before the new leaves appear. Flowering can go until late summer.
After flowering, the dark seed pods that contains numerous seeds appear embedded in interlocking hairs in a honeycomb-like husk. Extreme caution must be taken as the hairs irritate the skin, are easily inhaled and have been known to cause blindness. Lucky for you we have removed the hairs on the seeds we offer for easier germination! It has maple-like foliage and the young leaves emerge rosy-pink and then green with pink edges before turning fully bright green.
Grow it in full sun and acid to neutral soil that is fertile but well-drained. Flowering can be sporadic across the branches and non-flowering areas often retain their foliage year round. For best floral display, grow in phosphorus-rich soils that remain dry through winter.
The maximum height of 40 meters (130 ft) is reached only in the original, warmer, habitat. It usually grows to be about 20 meters (66 ft). The bark becomes ghostly light gray with age. It makes a lovely shade and accent tree for parks and campuses in the subtropics and can also be grown as a resilient street tree. Protect it from harsh frosts, especially when young. USDA Hardiness Zone 9-11.
This offer is for 7 seeds.