Bulging Queensland bottle trees.
- Queensland bottle trees are Australian native trees that have a trunk shaped like a bottle and have bell shaped, creamy-yellow coloured flowers that usually appear in spring and summer.
- The scientific name of a Queensland bottle tree is Brachychiton rupestris, and they are from the family Malvaceae, the family of mallows that includes hibiscus plants, but were originally from the archived family Sterculiaceae.
- Contrary to popular belief, Queensland bottle trees are not hollow, but have fibrous interiors, and are bottle-shaped due to the stored water in the trunk.
- Queensland bottle trees are usually grown from seed, and are popularly used in recreation areas and gardens, often providing good shade.
- Queensland bottle trees have been traditionally used as shelter, rope and food, particularly by indigenous Australians.
- Queensland bottle trees can range from 4 to 20 metres (13 to 65 feet) in height and do not produce a bottle shaped trunk until about five to eight years of age.
- Queensland bottle trees grow best in full sun and in temperatures of the sub-tropics and the tropics.
- Queensland bottle trees have boat-shaped seed pods full of many seeds that have hairs on them that can irritate the skin if touched.
- ‘Queensland bottle trees’ are also known as ‘Queensland-flaschenbaums’, ‘Narrowleaf bottle trees’, ‘Kurrajong bottle trees’ and ‘Kurrajongs’.
- Queensland bottle trees can survive up to three months out of soil, and they are therefore commonly transported to various countries, even as a mature tree.
Bibliography:
Brachychiton rupestris, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachychiton_rupestris
Campbell C, Fact Sheet: Bottle Trees, 2008, Gardening Australia, http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s2183287.htm
Cheung P, Brachychiton rupestris, 2013, AustraliaNationalBotanic Gardens, http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2005/brachychiton-rupestris.html
Hello, hoping that you could help me please? I have 2 bottle trees that I have had dug up but they only have a small amount of their roots left. I have been advised to keep the roots covered with a damp towel soaked in Seasol. I have also been given 2 old potato hessian bags to do the same with. Is this advisable, are the hessian bags ok to use?
What other reason besides not enough water why it would drop its leaves ? If it’s base was in a shady spot could that cause or been poisoned by coloured oracle around its base be a problem?