Featured Plant: Brachychiton rupestris – Queensland Bottle Tree
Image courtesy Bottle Trees NZ
The Bottle Tree (Brachychiton rupestris) is native of Queensland, Australia and its swollen trunk gives it a remarkable appearance, giving rise to the name.
Succulent, drought resistant and semi-deciduous, the Bottle Tree is tolerant of a range of various soils and temperatures.
Bottle Trees demonstrate a high degree of individuality, each tree being different in shape and character to the next.
Bottle Trees mostly grow as a single stem though some divide into two or three close to the ground and later may meld into one making an impressive trunk.
More from Wikipedia:
| Queensland Bottle tree | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Brachychiton |
| Species: | B. rupestris |
| Binomial name | |
| Brachychiton rupestris Schumann, 1893 |
|
The Queensland Bottle Tree (Brachychiton rupestris) originally classified in the family Sterculiaceae, which is now within Malvaceae, is native of Queensland, Australia. Its grossly swollen trunk gives it a remarkable appearance and gives rise to the name. As a succulent, drought-deciduous tree, it is tolerant of a range of various soils, and temperatures.
It can grow to 18-20 meters (40 feet) in height and its trunk has the unique shape of a bottle. Its swollen trunk is primarily used for water storage. On every tree the leaves are variable from narrow and elliptic to deeply divided. Clusters of yellowy bell shaped flowers are hidden within the foliage, and are followed by woody boat-shaped fruits.
Bottle Trees are commonly found planted in streets, parks, on farms and as features in gardens. Roma, Queensland is one country town with prominent bottle trees. They also grace the new entrance to the Geelong Botanic Gardens (38° South Latitude).
References
- Australian National Botanic Gardens: Growing Native Plants Department of Environment and Heritage, Australia. Accessed 5 October 2006.
- Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants (ASGAP)
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brachychiton rupestris |
