Thursday 18 December 2014

KURRAJONG FLOWERS

Brachychiton populneus x acerifolius 'Bella Pink' is a small to medium sized shade tree offering glossy green foliage and pretty clusters of salmon pink, bell-shaped flowers in Summer.   As a grafted tree, it is more compact in size which makes it highly suitable for domestic landscapes. Flowers are bird attracting.

The form and colour of this magnificent Australian tree makes it suitable for many urban situations including commercial landscapes, streetscapes, schools, parks and golf courses. It is a very reliable shade tree in smaller gardens.

Brachychiton populneus, commonly known as the Kurrajong, is a small to medium sized tree found naturally in Australia in a diversity of habitats from wetter coastal districts to semi-arid interiors of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The extended trunk is a water storage device for survival in a warm dry climate. The bell-shaped flowers are variable in colour while the leaves vary considerably in shape.

The leaves are either simple and pointed, or may be 3 - 9 lobed. Saplings grow from a drought and fire resistant tap-rooted tuber. Kurrajong has multiple uses. Seeds are eaten by Aboriginal people after roasting. The soft spongy wood was used for making shields, and the bark as a fibre. The leaves are also used as emergency fodder for drought-affected animal stock. It has been introduced as an ornamental tree to south-western Australia, South Africa, Louisiana, California, Arizona and Mediterranean countries. In Western Australia it was observed to be invasive in disturbed areas.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.



4 comments:

  1. yet another gorgeous plant, totally unknown to me. That last image enlarged is so beautiful. The colours are amazingly subtle.

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  2. Let the bells ring at Christmas time. Tom The Backroads Traveller

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  3. Wonderful plant. Very nice bell flowers :-)

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  4. These are very pretty, like small bells.

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