Please help to ID tree

Ruby

We moved into a new home approx 6 months ago and an established tree in the backyard started to flower (and drop flowers) at the start of summer. It is a beautiful large tree that provides great shade for the out outdoor area. The down side is the thousands of small red/pink flowers it drops daily creating quite a mess outside and inside as kids and pets bring them in on their feet. The tree also produces dark brown pods. Included are some pics to help ID, had to resize but should give some ideas.
Any ideas how long it will flower for?
Will it flower every year?






Thanks to anyone that can help out.

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Jeff Darby

I think you tree is...

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Garry Brockley

Yes i would second that one!!

Brachychiton populneus
Brachychiton populneus, commonly called Kurrajong, is a native to eastern Australia with much value in cultivation. Plants are tolerant of dry conditions, easy to propagate and have many interesting features.

Naturally distributed from north-eastern Victoria to Townsville and from the coast through to the semi-arid inland, B. populneus inhabits various well-drained soil types, often occurring amongst rocky outcrops of granite or limestone and also thriving on deeper soils in some areas.

The species Brachychiton populneus has two subspecies that differ in adult leaf shape. Subspecies trilobus has a more northerly and inland distribution and displays leaves with 3, sometimes 5, narrow lobes. The adult leaves of subspecies populneus have reduced side lobes and appear more like those of poplars (Populus species).

Flowers are bell-shaped and whitish in colour with the inner flower tube streaked purple-brown. Cultivated hybrids involving B. populneus display pink or red flowers. Seeds are borne within woody, boat-shaped fruit 1-7 cm long and are surrounded by fine hairs that can cause skin and eye irritation.

Juvenile plants, which display attractive lobed leaves and swollen taproots, make good pot-plants tolerant of dry and pot-bound conditions that respond well to pruning.

Trees are typically stout with glossy-green foliage and are widely used as street trees in Australia and overseas. Native populations on agricultural land are often retained to provide dense shade and drought fodder. Leaves lopped from branches are nutritious and desirable to stock, however consumption of the fruit may cause illness. The deep rooting trees have minimal impacts on cropping and also support honey production.

Ground-up seeds can be brewed into a coffee substitute or added to bread. The swollen, carrot-like taproot is a nutritious and agreeable vegetable and the gum exudate is also edible. Kurrajong fibre taken from the stem has been used in twine and netting manufacture.

Propagation is from seed or cutting. Seeds are readily germinated and immersion in warm-hot water then soaking for 12 hours enhances success. Care must be taken to avoid the irritating hairs surrounding the seeds. Cuttings from plants with desirable characteristics may be grafted onto seedling rootstock. Plants to 2 m respond well to transplantation if the swollen taproot is conserved and the branches trimmed to reduce water loss.

While sapling growth is often very slow, great improvements are possible through soil cultivation, watering and care. Plants have numerous pests and diseases but show resilience to defoliation. Internal infections are best avoided by application of anti-fungal treatments to open wounds. It should also be noted that kurrajongs may cause nuisance from their large woody fruit, deep roots that clog drains and potential for escape into native vegetation (e.g. near Perth). Other Brachychiton species in cultivation include B. acerifolius (Flame Tree), B. discolor (Lacebark), B. rupestris (Bottle Tree) and B. gregorii (Desert Kurrajong).

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Davo The Terrible

Sorry to throw a spanner in the works, but I'd go with Brachychiton acerifolius (Flame Tree). Populneus has smaller leaves and different flowers.

Jeff Darby

Hey Davo,

You are not throwing a spanner into the works, a pass mark for id is 70% ..So with us all it stands to reason we will be right most of the time and mistakes less and less, I.D is an ongoing subject at No time do we profess to know it all.

However now you have put your I.D forward it would be nice of you to find some pictures, and description of your I.D to confirm it.

By the way your Genus, always has capital (upper case) in the first letter of the family, and species lower case in the first letter of the species.

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Davo The Terrible

Hi JayD,

Thanks for the info. See the following for some additional info as to why I would be putting my money on this tree being B. acerifolius.

Firstly, the flower colour does not match that found on B. populneus; as can be seen in the image on your original post, and the image below, B. populneus has a flower with a creamish-white external colour, while Ruby's images show a flower which is entirely reddish in colour - in line with that commonly seen in B. acerifolius.
Brachychiton populneus

Brachychiton acerifolius

Also, the leaf size in Ruby's pictures appears to be a little larger than that commonly seen on B. populneus, but well within the accepted size and shape seen in B. acerifolius (see images below and also The World´s Tree Species: Brachychiton Acerifolius leaf variations).



While I admit that it is possible that the tree is a hybrid between B. acerifolius and B. populneus, I think it matches the characteristics of Brachychiton acerifolius well enough to be described as such.

Let me know your thoughts

Eric Frei

I know I have seen those with straight leaves, they're inconsistent, tricky buggers.

I want to add though they tend to flower when they have no leaves, and from my memory the flowers don't droop in large panicles like that. They are more stiff on the tips of branches.

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Bernard Keays

Davo,

I would like to suggest that it is a hybrid... Brachychiton acerifolius x populneus.

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Bernie

jmcg.insight.gardens

I'll second Bernard's opinion.

Maybe a cultivar, perhaps Brachychiton 'Jerilderie Red' . The reason I think that is in the following link and excerpt.

Brachychiton 'Jerilderie Red'



regards Julie

Jeff Darby

Nice follow up, Julie...

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Davo The Terrible

That's very interesting - I think you could be quite right. There are some OK pics on ?????? of these hybrids if anyone is interested in doing a search.

Cheers

jmcg.insight.gardens

Ruby,

in answer to your problem of the messy flowers, the Kurrajong (Brachychiton) is "maddeningly irregular" (quote Stirling Macoboy) in how often it flowers, in more temperate climates, and I,m not certain of how regularly it will flower in Adelaide, it generally flowers in early summer. Given the heat this last summer we had an extended display of flowering, next summer might prove another case. Depending on the weather conditions it might not flower at all.

You mention that it provides shade, which is a a valuable thing in Adelaide's hot summers. I remember the heat down there, perhaps the inconvenience of the flowers could be put up with for the deep shade it would provide.

You mention you have children, if they are little teach them not to play with the pods, the seeds inside the pod, nestle in a fibre that is reminiscent of fibre-glass, and will irritate little fingers. The solution to this is to remove the pods as they drop and dispose of them in the vegetation recycle bin if your council provides them.

The tree looks healthy and is attractive. Perhaps a purchase of a small light weight leaf blower, might help you, I use one at home, they have some very light weight ones these days. I get rid of our messy leaves in about five minutes.

regards Julie