Brachychitons
Brachychiton ‘Bella Rosa’
We have planted seven Brachychitons in our garden, and have had two volunteers spring up which we gave away. We are lucky to have our street tree be Brachychiton populneus, hence the volunteer trees. The street trees flower sporadically, although sometimes at Xmas we have had a great display of cream bell flowers flushed with red inside. The foliage of brachychitons is outstanding and each species, hybrid or cultivar, has different foliage. One plant we have in a pot, Brachychiton acuminatus (dwarf) ‘Minijong’, is sensitive to frost and is the dwarf variety of the Northern Desert Kurrajong. This plant must be protected from both the frost and overwatering, so is under the eaves. Unfortunately, this plant died from exposure to frost in October 2023.
Brachychiton bidwillii
The species brachychitons that we grow are Brachychiton bidwillii, (Little Kurrajong), Brachychiton gregorii, (Desert Kurrajong), Brachychiton populneus, (Kurrajong) and Brachychiton rupestris, (Queensland Bottle Tree). The only one of these species that has flowered for us is the other plant in a pot, Brachychiton bidwillii, planted in 2013, which has grown to 3 metres tall. This plant also needs protection from the frost as it comes from dry rainforest from southeastern Queensland to Bowen in the north. The foliage is one of its distinctive features with five lobed felty leaves reminiscent of a human hand. The flowers are bell shaped and coral red, coming for us appropriately at Xmas. Flower production is supposed to increase with age, so we are looking forward to even more flowers in the future. Brachychiton gregorii, newly planted last year, had all its leaves eaten off by a kangaroo during the summer drought 1919-20. There was absolutely no feed on any of the areas around Canberra where the kangaroos usually forage, so they came into the city to stay alive. This is the first time that we have had kangaroo damage in our garden. We also saw a Swamp Wallaby in the garden during this period and harboured our very own rabbit, which caused a lot of damage. Now in 2020, we have a resident garden hare, very large, and very damaging to all newly planted specimens.
Leaf of Brachychiton ‘Griffith Pink’
We have had quite a struggle to establish Brachychiton rupestris, Queensland Bottle Tree, first planted in our garden in 2009, then 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018, sourced from many different nurseries and placed in many different positions in the garden. We have covered most of our brachychitons for the first winter, but this species kept dying nonetheless. Now we have two plants in the garden, one nurtured by us, despite kangaroo attack, and another given to us by a friend. We were offered this large B. rupestris, which had been lovingly cultivated in a pot over many years, and had become too large to manage. We moved it (with help!) in November 2019 and transplanted it as a feature plant to the back lawn. At first it dropped its beautiful shiny leaves in shock, but has since grown a whole new set and seems to be thriving.
Brachychiton ‘Bella Pink’
The cultivars and hybrids that we grow have flowered more freely. Brachychiton ‘Bella Pink’, (B. populneus x acerifolius), planted in 2013, is flowering more each year and puts on a magnificent display of pink bells in spring. This small tree is also about 3m tall so far and has attractive shiny foliage which it keeps through winter. Next to it we planted in 2017 a grafted Brachychiton ‘Bella Rosa’, (B. bidwillii x B. spectabilis), which has flowered only sparsely so far. It flowers right on the branch with a large, deep red bell. A kangaroo also ate most of the leaves from this tree over summer 1919-20. Brachychiton ‘Griffith Pink’, (B. populneus x discolor), planted in 2015, is a medium sized tree with glossy lobed foliage and clusters of long lasting pink flowers in summer. This tree began by losing its leaves during winter, but now has adapted to the cold and retains its leaves.
Brachychiton ‘Griffith Pink’
We planted an unknown Brachychiton hybrid in 2012 that we purchased from Attila Kapitany. This tree struggled to thrive in the early years but seems to have adapted to our climate and now looks healthy, but no flowers as yet. Brachychiton ‘Jerilderie Red’ (grafted), planted in 2017, flowered sparsely for the first time in 2020, but not with the red flowers that we expected from its name, but pink flowers. This tree is very attractive and is growing quite a swollen trunk base. It lost its leaves in winter in the beginning, but now retains them through winter.
Brachychiton acuminatus (dwarf) ‘Minijong’
We planted this dwarf variety of the Northern Desert Kurrajong in a pot in February 2020. This plant needs plenty of sun and must have protection from frost. The leaves deteriorate each year over winter with fresh foliage developing in spring. Do not overwater this plant which is native to the Pilbara region of Western Australia. This plant died October 2023 - left out in the frost while I was in hospital.
Brachychiton ‘Bella Pink’ (photo below left)
We planted this hybrid tree, B. populneus x acerifolius, height 6-8m and width 3-4m, with glossy lobed foliage and clusters of salmon pink bell flowers that appear in summer, in December 2013. The flowers are attractive to birds. Sheets of flowers in December 2023.
Brachychiton ‘Bella Rosa’ – grafted (photo above right)
We planted a grafted form of this hybrid brachychiton, B. bidwillii x B. spectabilis, in October 2017. This plant reaches about 3-4m high and has dark red flowers in spring and summer on bare branches, followed by lush foliage. This plant was halved by the fall of a heavy Casuarina cunninghamii limb in April 2022 and discarded.
Brachychiton bidwillii - Little Kurrajong (photo below, left two)
Brachychiton bidwillii, planted in a pot in 2013, has grown to 3 metres tall. This plant needs protection from the frost as it comes from dry rainforest from southeastern Queensland to Bowen in the north. The foliage is one of its distinctive features with five lobed felty leaves reminiscent of a human hand. The flowers are bell shaped and coral red, coming for us appropriately at Xmas. Flower production is supposed to increase with age, so we are looking forward to even more flowers in future. This plant was moved out of its pot, into the garden in January 2024, as it grown too large to move. Leafing out well in November 2024
Brachychiton ‘Griffith Pink’ (photo above right two)
We planted this hybrid tree, B. populneus x discolor, height 6-8m, width 3-4m after 15-20 years, with glossy lobed foliage and clusters of pink flowers that appear in summer, in November 2015. The flowers are attractive to birds. This plant had a miraculous escape from fall of the huge pine in July 2016. Despite growing really well it lost all its beautiful leaves over winter ’17. This tree had lots of new growth by December 2018 and had no loss of leaves through winter ’19 or since. The tree has grown to 6m high and flowers generously every year.
Brachychiton gregorii - Desert Kurrajong
We planted this tree, 3-6m high x 2-5m wide, with creamy yellow flowers in spring and summer, in October 2019. This plant needs full sun and free draining soil. Inland tree native to WA. All leaves eaten off by kangaroo 10/12/19 – has regenerated 8/20. Seems much better established now 10/20.
This plant had all its leaves eaten off by a kangaroo during the summer drought 1919-20. There was absolutely no feed on any of the areas around Canberra where the kangaroos usually forage, so they came into the city to stay alive. This is the first time that we have had kangaroo damage in our garden. We also saw a Swamp Wallaby in the garden during this period and harboured our very own rabbit, which caused a lot of damage. Now in 2020-, we have two resident garden hares, very large, and very damaging to all newly planted specimens.
Brachychiton hybrid
We planted this unknown hybrid from Attila Kapitany in February 2012. The plant was bent over in big storm February 2014 then doubled in height over summer ‘14/’15. This tree browned off during winter ’15 and lost its leaves but has kept its leaves from winter ’18 onwards. This tree still has not flowered and was removed in November 2021.
Brachychiton ‘Jerilderie Red’ (grafted) (Photos above)
We planted this densely canopied tree, 8m high and 7m wide with a bloated trunk and a large lobed leaves, in June 2017. During the summer months the tree is packed with powdery-red flowers that are shaped like small bells (our flowers are not red, but pink). This tree is healthy, but has remained small for us, only 2m high.
Brachychiton ‘Ormeau’ - Ormeau Bottle Tree
We planted a grafted specimen of this critically endangered species native to southern Queensland coast in February 2023. This tree grows to 5-12m high, with attractive glossy foliage and red new growth. Bottle shaped leaves develop at 8-10 years old, with small cream flowers and boat-shaped seed pods. This plant is frost sensitive when young – from Dave’s Trees.
Brachychiton populneus - Kurrajong
We planted this spreading tree, 6-15m high x 3-6m wide, with a dense rounded crown, shiny lobed leaves, and cream bell flowers, reddish inside, in October 2018. The top was eaten off by kangaroos december 2019, but has grown back by January 2020. We also have two volunteer B. populneus in the garden which are growing well - these have now been rehomed in 2024.
Brachychiton populneus x acerifolius ‘Dave’s Hybrid’ Type 1
We planted this Type 1 Dave’s Hybrid in February 2019. These plants are some of the more interesting and unusal F2 hybrids, grafted onto parental rootstock. Hardy, frost resistant, with cream to pink flowers in early summer and attractive boat-shaped woody seed pods.
Brachychiton rupestris – Queensland Bottle Tree
We have planted seven of these unusual trees, height to 20m, with a distinctive bottle shaped trunk that becomes more pronounced with age, from 2009-2019. Large woody seed pods follow the small flowers. We have two remaining plants, after one was whipper-snipped in error and several died in our frosty winters. One of the two remaining was eatern to the ground by a kangaroo in December 2019, but has recovered well.. Our best specimen was given to us by Dot Gallagher as an older tree and has transplanted well.
