Brachychiton discolor

Queensland Lacebark, Pink Flame Tree
Malvaceae
Deciduous, Trees, Decorative fruit or berries, Flowers

BRACHYCHITON

Native to Australia. All have woody, canoe-shaped fruits that delight flower arrangers but are merely litter in the view of some gardeners. Grow in well-drained soil. Tend to form strong central leader; require minimal pruning. Blooming habit and leaf drop in the two deciduous species listed here can be most erratic.Young trees often bloom only in sections of the tree rather than all over it; those parts will drop their leaves while nonblooming areas retain their foliage. Older trees tend to produce blooms on all branches and drop all their leaves before flowers appear. Bloom is best after a dry winter.

Brachychiton discolor

Briefly deciduous. To 40–60 ft. tall; pyramidal in youth but more spreading (toabout 30 ft.) in maturity. Ornamental bottle-shaped trunk. Leaves, only 6 in. wide, are narrower than those of B. acerifoliusand are blue-green on top,whitish underneath. Leaves onyoung trees are deeply lobed;lobes become shallower as tree ages. Large, bell-like, deep rose-pink flowers appear in summer, then carpet the ground under the tree. Blossoms and subsequentfruit are densely coveredwith rusty wool on outside.