{"title":"Kurrajong","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe brachychitons are Australia's own boulevard trees: bottle trees, kurrajongs and flame trees, drought-hardy, sculptural and increasingly the signature planting of warm-climate landscape design. This page lists every brachychiton available from our partner farms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"\/products\/brachychiton-rupestris\"\u003eQueensland bottle tree\u003c\/a\u003e (Brachychiton rupestris) is the icon, its swollen trunk a living water tank that makes an instant landmark in any dry garden; established specimens transplant famously well, which is why they anchor so many new estates. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/brachychiton-acerifolius-illawara-flame-tree\"\u003eIllawarra flame tree\u003c\/a\u003e answers it in colour, covering its bare branches in scarlet bells in early summer, a sight visible streets away.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe flowering hybrids bring the flame-tree display down to garden scale, mostly grafted for reliable colour: \u003ca href=\"\/products\/brachychiton-jerilderie-red\"\u003eJerilderie Red\u003c\/a\u003e, Bella Pink, Bella Donna, Griffith Pink and Magenta Bells, with the little kurrajong (B. bidwillii) flowering pink on a shrub-sized plant. The classic kurrajong (B. populneus) remains the inland farm shade tree, joined by the lacebark (B. discolor) and the compact whitsundayensis-type B. compactus.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrowing notes: brachychitons want sun and drainage and little else. They are semi-deciduous, often dropping leaves just before or during flowering, which is normal and part of the display. Young trees put energy into their taproot first, so growth can look slow for a year before it accelerates; water deeply but infrequently to encourage that root. Frost-tender when small, they toughen with age in all mainland capitals.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSee companions in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/natives\"\u003eAustralian natives\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/feature-trees\"\u003efeature trees\u003c\/a\u003e. Every order ships farm-direct with flat $99 delivery across QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, ACT and WA, a $399 minimum order, and the 30-Day Healthy Plant Guarantee.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"brachychiton-acerifolia","title":"Illawarra Flame Tree - Brachychiton acerifolia","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn a good season the Illawarra flame tree drops its leaves and covers the bare branches with scarlet bells you can pick out from a kilometre away across a valley. In an ordinary season it flowers on one limb, or not at all. That unreliability is the most important thing to understand before planting: seedling trees often take many years to flower, and the display is heaviest after a dry, stressful lead-up rather than a kind one.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is a fine tree regardless, with a swollen trunk base, glossy leaves that vary from entire to deeply lobed on the same plant, and enough canopy to earn its place as a shade tree on the east coast.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo warnings. The boat-shaped seed pods are lined with fine yellow hairs that irritate skin and eyes, so wear gloves when raking them off lawns and play areas. And it is deciduous, shedding its canopy before it flowers, which catches out anyone expecting a permanently green street tree.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFlat rate freight of $99 applies to QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, ACT and WA on orders over $399.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 2 sizes, from 30L up to 90L, priced from $199.00 to $539.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Every size here is established stock rather than a starter plant, so this line is intended for immediate effect rather than for growing on. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"30L","offer_id":64308404257137,"sku":null,"price":199.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"90L","offer_id":64308404289905,"sku":null,"price":539.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/y-ocD838jmeLes-i-uTJX_hCtEIRy0.jpg?v=1787627253"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-acerifolius-illawara-flame-tree","title":"Illawarra Flame Tree - Brachychiton acerifolius Illawara Flame Tree","description":"\u003cp\u003eBe patient with the flowering. Illawarra flame trees are irregular by nature. A young tree can take several years before it flowers at all, mature trees skip seasons, and it is common for one part of a canopy to colour up while the rest stays green. Nothing you do reliably changes that.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen it does perform, the tree sheds its leaves first and the bare branches carry dense scarlet bell flowers. The leaves are variable, deeply lobed and maple-like on young growth, simpler on older wood. The trunk is smooth and green when young and thickens noticeably at the base with age.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFull sun, drainage, and very little water once established. It suits a large lawn or a wide verge where it can be read against sky. One practical warning: the woody boat-shaped pods are lined with fine irritant hairs, so keep trees clear of play areas and wear gloves when clearing them. Delivery is a flat $99 to QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, ACT and WA on orders over $399.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 21 sizes, from 140mm up to 1000L, priced from $16.95 to $5499.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. The smaller pots hold younger plants that cost less each and establish quickly, which suits hedges, screens and mass planting where the plant count adds up. The larger sizes carry several more years of growth on the farm and give height and presence straight away, which is what you want for a single feature position or a screen that cannot wait. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"400L","offer_id":64308404388209,"sku":null,"price":2749.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"175mm","offer_id":64308404453745,"sku":null,"price":20.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"430mm","offer_id":64308404486513,"sku":null,"price":249.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250mm","offer_id":64308404519281,"sku":null,"price":59.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500mm","offer_id":64308404552049,"sku":null,"price":409.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"35L","offer_id":64308404584817,"sku":null,"price":169.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"300mm","offer_id":64308404617585,"sku":null,"price":99.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200mm","offer_id":64308404715889,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"750L","offer_id":64308404748657,"sku":null,"price":5499.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4L","offer_id":64308404781425,"sku":null,"price":29.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400mm","offer_id":64308404814193,"sku":null,"price":219.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"140mm","offer_id":64308404846961,"sku":null,"price":16.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"300L","offer_id":64308404879729,"sku":null,"price":3369.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"700L","offer_id":64308404912497,"sku":null,"price":3859.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100L","offer_id":64308404945265,"sku":null,"price":709.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25L","offer_id":64308404978033,"sku":null,"price":139.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"45L","offer_id":64308405010801,"sku":null,"price":229.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"330mm","offer_id":64308405076337,"sku":null,"price":149.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200L","offer_id":64308405109105,"sku":null,"price":1299.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000L","offer_id":64308405141873,"sku":null,"price":3859.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"75L","offer_id":64308405174641,"sku":null,"price":649.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"150L","offer_id":64446145429873,"sku":null,"price":869.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"26L","offer_id":64446145462641,"sku":null,"price":189.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"90L","offer_id":64446145495409,"sku":null,"price":649.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/TK4099Z4YF-jUPIce1aVV_X9IcXOJ1.jpg?v=1787627335"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-bidwillii-grafted","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton bidwillii Grafted","description":"\u003cp\u003eGrafted stock is the reason this one is worth buying. Brachychiton bidwillii, the little kurrajong of inland Queensland, is a small semi deciduous tree that sheds its lobed leaves and then covers the bare stems in tight clusters of deep pink to red bell flowers. Seedlings can take many years to reach flowering size, so a grafted plant is the practical way to see bloom in a garden timeframe. Give it full sun and sharp drainage. Once the roots are down it wants very little water, and summer irrigation on heavy clay is the fastest way to lose one. Watch the graft union closely: rootstock shoots pushing from below the join will outgrow the scion and should be rubbed off as they appear. The bare period before flowering is normal and not a sign of stress. Stocked in 400mm from two farms, it suits a courtyard, a hot northern corner, or any feature position where the flowering sits close to eye level.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is supplied in one size, 400mm, at $319.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot it arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"400mm","offer_id":64308406813041,"sku":null,"price":319.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/EzeBRqwWQ_oiIIrIb0v2a_K2dZ2ZH6.jpg?v=1787627254"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-compactus","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton compactus","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe list of trees that take a hot, dry inland site and still look green in February is short, and the kurrajongs are on it. Brachychiton compactus is a denser, more compact member of the group than the familiar roadside kurrajong, holding a rounded crown of glossy leaves over a trunk that thickens noticeably with age.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeing semi deciduous, it sheds a good part of its foliage in dry spells or ahead of flowering, then refurnishes quickly. Do not read that leaf drop as a dying tree. Clusters of small bell flowers follow, and after them the woody boat shaped pods.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHandle those pods with gloves. Inside each one the seeds sit in a mass of fine irritant hairs that itch for hours if you break a pod open bare handed, and children pull them apart out of curiosity. Otherwise it asks for very little: full sun, drainage, deep occasional water while it establishes, then largely self sufficient. Stock runs from 45L up to large 500L specimens.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 6 sizes, from 200mm up to 500L, priced from $42.95 to $6609.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. The smaller pots hold younger plants that cost less each and establish quickly, which suits hedges, screens and mass planting where the plant count adds up. The larger sizes carry several more years of growth on the farm and give height and presence straight away, which is what you want for a single feature position or a screen that cannot wait. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"200L","offer_id":64308407468401,"sku":null,"price":1099.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"25L","offer_id":64308407501169,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"45L","offer_id":64308407533937,"sku":null,"price":229.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100L","offer_id":64308407566705,"sku":null,"price":779.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500L","offer_id":64308407599473,"sku":null,"price":6609.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200mm","offer_id":64308407632241,"sku":null,"price":42.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/JFK71ncigVBZrna2kYnAa_MvCEUx7x.jpg?v=1787627335"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-grafted-bella-pink","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton grafted Bella Pink","description":"\u003cp\u003eSold as a named pink flowering kurrajong, Bella Pink is propagated by grafting so the flower colour comes true, which seedling Brachychiton simply will not do. Expect the genus habit: a semi deciduous crown that thins or bares off before the bell shaped flowers appear along the stems, then flushes back with fresh lobed foliage. Full sun is not optional here. Shade produces a lanky plant and very little flower. The species behind these hybrids come from dry country, so free draining soil and a deep, infrequent soak beat frequent light watering, and an established tree asks for almost nothing. Kurrajongs build a swollen taproot early, which is why they resent being shifted once planted, so choose the position properly the first time and plant it there. This one comes as a 30 litre plant from a single farm, well past the fragile stage. Delivery runs to QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, ACT and WA at a flat $99.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is supplied in one size, 30L, at $209.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot it arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"30L","offer_id":64308408189297,"sku":null,"price":209.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/gwONXleNY9M0M6j7tsCXw_UTQOuYLG.jpg?v=1787627254"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-jerilderie-red-grafted","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton Jerilderie Red Grafted","description":"\u003cp\u003eBuy it grafted or take your chances. Red flowered Brachychiton hybrids raised from seed vary all over the place in colour and can take many years to flower at all, whereas grafted Jerilderie Red gives you the known clone and flowers as a young tree. The union sits on a hardy kurrajong understock, so watch for shoots coming from below it and rub them out early.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe display comes on bare or nearly bare branches, because the tree drops much of its foliage before the bells open. That is what makes the colour carry so strongly from across a paddock or down a street. Out of flower it is a neat, upright, glossy leafed tree of manageable size for a front garden or a verge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFull sun and sharp drainage are the requirements. Overwatering in heavy soil is the usual cause of failure. Expect some pod litter, and treat the seed hairs with the same caution you would give any Brachychiton.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 9 sizes, from 2L up to 100L, priced from $35.95 to $719.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. The smaller pots hold younger plants that cost less each and establish quickly, which suits hedges, screens and mass planting where the plant count adds up. The larger sizes carry several more years of growth on the farm and give height and presence straight away, which is what you want for a single feature position or a screen that cannot wait. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"430mm","offer_id":64308409500017,"sku":null,"price":299.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400mm","offer_id":64308409565553,"sku":null,"price":299.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"4L","offer_id":64308409598321,"sku":null,"price":43.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"2L","offer_id":64308409631089,"sku":null,"price":35.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"45L","offer_id":64308409663857,"sku":null,"price":269.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100L","offer_id":64308409696625,"sku":null,"price":719.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"300mm","offer_id":64308409729393,"sku":null,"price":319.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20L","offer_id":64308409794929,"sku":null,"price":139.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200mm","offer_id":64308409827697,"sku":null,"price":65.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/T9-tbEu3wq2pfB230keFQ_zrcR9Ecm.jpg?v=1787627254"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-populneus","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton populneus","description":"\u003cp\u003eAnyone who has driven inland New South Wales in a dry year has seen kurrajongs standing green in a bare paddock while everything around them has given up. The trunk thickens with age towards the bottle shape old specimens are known for, the glossy leaves vary from entire and poplar like to deeply lobed on the same tree, and cream bells freckled with maroon inside open along the branches. It is planted for shade and shelter on acreage, rural driveways and large yards.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eA dry country tree that asks for very little\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFull sun, low water once established, and it grows across an enormous range: inland and coastal New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and much of Western Australia. It takes frost better than the other kurrajongs here, tolerates poor shallow soil, and handles long dry spells by shedding leaf and recovering when rain comes, which is normal behaviour for a semi deciduous species and not a fault. Drainage is the only soil requirement worth insisting on.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe failure mode is placement. This is a long lived tree with a deep taproot and a wide canopy, and the woody boat shaped follicles split open to release seed packed in fine irritant hairs. Pods drop, get walked on, crushed and blown about, and the hairs itch badly on skin and in eyes. Sited near a pool, a play area, a footpath or a spot where cars park underneath, a mature kurrajong becomes a nuisance that no amount of pruning fixes. Give it space away from hard surfaces and foot traffic and it is close to trouble free.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe full sized kurrajong against the garden ones\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the species most people mean by kurrajong, and it is the largest and hardest wearing of the group offered here. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/brachychiton-bidwillii\"\u003eBidwill's Kurrajong\u003c\/a\u003e is the one to take instead if the space is a courtyard or a garden bed, since it stays shrubby and flowers rose red at eye level. \u003ca href=\"\/products\/brachychiton-jerilderie-red\"\u003eJerilderie Red\u003c\/a\u003e suits a suburban block or a driveway where you want reliable red flowering rather than cream. Take the straight species when the priority is shade, shelter and longevity, and when there is real room to give it. It is also the traditional fodder tree of the inland, cut for stock when the paddocks run out, which tells you plenty about how it handles a dry season.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eShaping a young kurrajong\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo the shaping early. Select a leader and space the main limbs in the first few seasons, then lift the crown gradually to the clearance you want for mowing or vehicles, since small cuts made young beat large cuts made later. Prune in late winter to early spring. Feeding is barely needed in reasonable soil, and a low phosphorus native slow release fertiliser in spring for the first few years is plenty, since rich feeding only makes soft growth. Water deeply but infrequently while it establishes, then leave it to its own devices. See the others under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/kurrajong\"\u003ekurrajong\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 9 sizes, from 140mm up to 200L, priced from $26.95 to $1189.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. The smaller pots hold younger plants that cost less each and establish quickly, which suits hedges, screens and mass planting where the plant count adds up. The larger sizes carry several more years of growth on the farm and give height and presence straight away, which is what you want for a single feature position or a screen that cannot wait. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"330mm","offer_id":64311330472305,"sku":null,"price":149.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"45L","offer_id":64311330505073,"sku":null,"price":229.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"140mm","offer_id":64311330537841,"sku":null,"price":26.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200mm","offer_id":64311330570609,"sku":null,"price":32.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"150L","offer_id":64311330668913,"sku":null,"price":1099.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200L","offer_id":64311330701681,"sku":null,"price":1189.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"30L","offer_id":64311330734449,"sku":null,"price":199.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"430mm","offer_id":64311330767217,"sku":null,"price":259.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400mm","offer_id":64311330898289,"sku":null,"price":229.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20L","offer_id":64446154539377,"sku":null,"price":219.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"250mm","offer_id":64446154572145,"sku":null,"price":63.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"420mm","offer_id":64446154604913,"sku":null,"price":279.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/plantdrop-kurrajong-tree-brachychiton-populneus-20260611_408f858c-747c-4a74-86da-1cae5b42a5ae.png?v=1785551571"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-rupestris-queensland-bottle-tree","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton rupestris Queensland Bottle Tree","description":"\u003cp\u003eOut in the Queensland brigalow country where it grows wild, that swollen trunk is a water store against dry summers. Young trees look like any other slim Brachychiton, then over years the lower trunk swells into the bottle shape that names it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFoliage is narrow and glossy, and the tree is semi deciduous, shedding most of its leaves in a dry spell or before flowering and then reclothing itself. The small bell flowers are easy to miss. This is a tree grown for form and for shade, and it sits well in gravel gardens, dry courtyards, carparks and hot western aspects.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEstablished, it asks for very little water and shrugs off heat and reflected glare. It also transplants unusually well at large sizes for a tree, which is why the advanced and super advanced grades up to 1000L are worth considering when the trunk character is the whole reason you are planting it. Full sun, drainage, and patience while it bottles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 16 sizes, from 140mm up to 1000L, priced from $24.95 to $15739.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. The smaller pots hold younger plants that cost less each and establish quickly, which suits hedges, screens and mass planting where the plant count adds up. The larger sizes carry several more years of growth on the farm and give height and presence straight away, which is what you want for a single feature position or a screen that cannot wait. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"300mm","offer_id":64311389749617,"sku":null,"price":96.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100L","offer_id":64311389815153,"sku":null,"price":659.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"330mm Deep","offer_id":64311389847921,"sku":null,"price":159.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"45L","offer_id":64311389946225,"sku":null,"price":239.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20L","offer_id":64311389978993,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"250mm","offer_id":64311390011761,"sku":null,"price":59.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400mm","offer_id":64311390044529,"sku":null,"price":329.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"750L","offer_id":64311390077297,"sku":null,"price":7709.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"600mm","offer_id":64311390175601,"sku":null,"price":619.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200mm","offer_id":64311390241137,"sku":null,"price":40.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"140mm","offer_id":64311390273905,"sku":null,"price":24.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"330mm","offer_id":64311390306673,"sku":null,"price":149.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500mm","offer_id":64311390339441,"sku":null,"price":559.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"1000L","offer_id":64311390372209,"sku":null,"price":15739.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"300L","offer_id":64311390404977,"sku":null,"price":2089.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200L","offer_id":64311390437745,"sku":null,"price":1439.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12L","offer_id":64446160896369,"sku":null,"price":189.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"26L","offer_id":64446160929137,"sku":null,"price":299.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/0pZFEoEKHUdOsPHPSMTF6_KPLZb1bE.jpg?v=1787629355"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-bella-pink","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton Bella Pink","description":"\u003cp\u003eThrough summer, when most flowering trees have finished, this kurrajong hybrid hangs its branches with waxy bell shaped flowers in soft to deep pink. Being semi deciduous, it often drops a good deal of its foliage first, which makes the flowering far more visible than it would be on a fully leafy crown.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is a more manageable tree than the Illawarra flame: moderate in growth, denser in habit, and better scaled to a front yard, a nature strip or a car park island. Full sun suits it, and once established it asks for very little water. The swollen trunk base the genus is known for develops with age.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo warnings worth heeding. It is a grafted tree, so rub off any shoot appearing below the graft union promptly or the rootstock will take the plant over. And the woody boat shaped seed pods are lined with fine hairs that irritate skin and eyes, so gather them with gloves and keep them away from children.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 5 sizes, from 330mm up to 100L, priced from $149.00 to $819.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Every size here is established stock rather than a starter plant, so this line is intended for immediate effect rather than for growing on. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"400mm","offer_id":64311410884977,"sku":null,"price":269.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"100L","offer_id":64311410917745,"sku":null,"price":819.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50L","offer_id":64311410983281,"sku":null,"price":399.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"330mm","offer_id":64311411048817,"sku":null,"price":149.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500mm","offer_id":64311411081585,"sku":null,"price":429.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/kkvVmFMBPpWcFJki2YZ5V_apQhAI0e.jpg?v=1787629429"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-discolor","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton discolor","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Lacebark is an upright, single trunked tree from the dry rainforests of Queensland and northern New South Wales, with a greenish grey trunk that thickens through the base as it ages. Its leaves are large and lobed, dark above and white felted underneath, which is where the name comes from. In the hottest part of summer it sheds that foliage and covers the bare branches in felty rose pink bells. Planted as a feature or a shade tree, it does its flowering when people are outdoors to see it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWarmth first, then drainage\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrown in its comfort zone this is an easy tree: full sun, free draining soil, low water once established, and heat and dry spells cause it no trouble at all. It performs through south east Queensland, coastal and inland New South Wales, and the warmer parts of Perth and Adelaide. The leafless period falls in the warm months rather than winter, so a courtyard or lawn tree still gives shade for most of the year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCold is the limit, and it is the real failure mode here. Of the kurrajongs in this range the Lacebark is the least tolerant of frost, and a young tree in a cold inland winter can be cut back to the trunk or lost outright. If your site drops below freezing regularly, plant something else from the group rather than nursing this one along. Where frost is light and occasional, get it through the first two or three winters with a sheltered position, a north or east aspect and a good mulch layer, and it toughens up considerably once the trunk has girth on it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhich kurrajong for a cold or exposed site\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf frost or exposure is a factor, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/brachychiton-populneus\"\u003eBrachychiton populneus\u003c\/a\u003e is the tougher and more cold tolerant tree, and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/brachychiton-jerilderie-red\"\u003eJerilderie Red\u003c\/a\u003e sits between the two, carrying red bells on a frame that copes with inland and western districts. What the Lacebark offers that neither of those does is pink flowering combined with the big felted leaf and a softer, more rainforest look that suits a subtropical or coastal garden. Take the Lacebark for a warm frost free site where you want that flowering at scale, and take populneus where the site is hard and dry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003ePruning and pod safety\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eFormative pruning is the useful work: set a single leader and lift the lower limbs over the first few seasons while the cuts are still small, working in late winter to early spring ahead of the flowering. Established trees need very little beyond removing damaged wood. Feed in spring with a low phosphorus slow release fertiliser and water deeply through the establishment years, then back off. The woody boat shaped pods split on the tree and drop, and they are lined with irritant hairs around the seed, so keep this one clear of pools, sandpits and outdoor seating and wear gloves when you rake up. More natives sit under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/natives\"\u003enatives\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 2 sizes, from 200mm up to 100L, priced from $34.95 to $649.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. The smaller pots hold younger plants that cost less each and establish quickly, which suits hedges, screens and mass planting where the plant count adds up. The larger sizes carry several more years of growth on the farm and give height and presence straight away, which is what you want for a single feature position or a screen that cannot wait. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"100L","offer_id":64311435755889,"sku":null,"price":649.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200mm","offer_id":64311435788657,"sku":null,"price":34.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"300L","offer_id":64446165123441,"sku":null,"price":6499.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/plantdrop-lacebark-tree-brachychiton-discolor-20260609_877842d5-7052-4efd-bfd2-9e2f24b8d235.png?v=1785551819"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-bidwillii","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton bidwillii","description":"\u003cp\u003eBidwill's Kurrajong is the small one in the genus, a shrubby, often multi stemmed plant from inland Queensland that builds a swollen woody base and can be held low or trained up into a compact tree. The flowering is what earns it a place. Leaves drop as the weather warms and clusters of bright rose red bells open off the bare grey stems, tight against the wood, so the whole framework lights up. It works as a feature in a courtyard, a native bed or a hot dry corner.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eDry feet and a warm position\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a hot country plant. It handles full sun, reflected heat off paving and long dry spells once the base has some size behind it, and it grows well through Queensland, inland New South Wales, Perth and the warmer parts of South Australia. Young plants are tender to hard frost, so in cold districts give it a north facing wall or grow it in a large pot that can be moved. Water is low once established. Being semi deciduous, it may go partly or fully bare around flowering, which is the plant behaving normally rather than a fault.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe failure mode is wet feet. That swollen base is a water store, and a plant sitting in heavy clay or in a pot of soggy mix rots from the root collar up, usually over a wet winter rather than in the heat. Plant it high, use a gritty free draining mix in containers, and let the soil dry between waterings. More of these are lost to kindness with the hose than to drought.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eThe compact kurrajong, not the paddock one\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost people picture \u003ca href=\"\/products\/brachychiton-populneus\"\u003eBrachychiton populneus\u003c\/a\u003e when they hear kurrajong, and that is a large, long lived shade tree for acreage. This is the opposite end of the genus and the one to take when the space is a suburban garden bed or a courtyard. If you want red bells at tree scale, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/brachychiton-jerilderie-red\"\u003eJerilderie Red\u003c\/a\u003e carries a similar colour on a proper shade tree frame and needs the room to match. Take Bidwill's Kurrajong where the flowering has to happen at eye level and the plant has to stay inside a garden bed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eShaping, feeding and the seed pods\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrune after flowering, once the bells have finished and before the new leaves harden. Decide early whether you want a multi stemmed shrub or a single trunked small tree, because that choice is made in the first few seasons by selecting or removing basal stems. Feed lightly in spring with a native or low phosphorus slow release fertiliser, since rich feeding pushes soft growth at the expense of flower. Handle the seed capsules with gloves, as they are lined with fine hairs that itch badly on skin and in eyes, and sweep them up rather than crushing them underfoot. Compare the rest of the group under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/kurrajong\"\u003ekurrajong\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 6 sizes, from 140mm up to 400L, priced from $16.95 to $1769.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. The smaller pots hold younger plants that cost less each and establish quickly, which suits hedges, screens and mass planting where the plant count adds up. The larger sizes carry several more years of growth on the farm and give height and presence straight away, which is what you want for a single feature position or a screen that cannot wait. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"430mm","offer_id":64311447486833,"sku":null,"price":319.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"45L","offer_id":64311447552369,"sku":null,"price":239.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"140mm","offer_id":64311447585137,"sku":null,"price":16.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400mm","offer_id":64311447617905,"sku":null,"price":249.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"200mm","offer_id":64311447650673,"sku":null,"price":34.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400L","offer_id":64311447683441,"sku":null,"price":1769.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"30L","offer_id":64446166401393,"sku":null,"price":209.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/plantdrop-kurrajong-tree-brachychiton-bidwillii-20260609_8c8028b7-41dc-4b18-bf63-5a86869ebf1a.png?v=1785551856"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-bella-donna","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton Bella Donna","description":"\u003cp\u003eSomewhere between the flame tree and the common kurrajong sits Bella Donna, a Brachychiton hybrid grown for flowering rather than timber. Expect bell shaped blooms in warm pink tones carried in quantity on bare or partly bare branches, which is the whole point of the semi deciduous habit: the tree sheds leaf ahead of flowering so the display is not buried in foliage.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrachychitons are among the better feature trees for hot, dry Australian conditions. They build a thick water storing trunk and a deep root system, handle drought once established, take full sun and reflected heat off paving, and behave themselves near hard surfaces far better than figs or gums. Growth is moderate, so buy the largest size you can if shade is the goal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo things catch people out. Flowering can be light or skipped altogether after a cool, wet season. And the woody seed pods split open to reveal short irritant hairs around the seeds, which is a nuisance underfoot near pools and play areas, so wear gloves when you clean them up.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 2 sizes, from 330mm up to 400mm, priced from $149.00 to $229.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Every size here is established stock rather than a starter plant, so this line is intended for immediate effect rather than for growing on. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"400mm","offer_id":64311458529649,"sku":null,"price":229.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"330mm","offer_id":64311458562417,"sku":null,"price":149.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/zoHtcUFq241TtzWbmIVTM_WLuki2fz.jpg?v=1787629646"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-griffith-pink","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton Griffith Pink","description":"\u003cp\u003eDo not buy this expecting flowers on cue every spring. Griffith Pink is a kurrajong hybrid grown for its deep pink bell-shaped flowers, and like most brachychitons it performs best after a dry winter and can skip a season when conditions have been soft and wet. The semi-deciduous habit is part of the display: it sheds a good share of its canopy before flowering, so the bells sit on bare or thinly leafed wood.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnce established it is genuinely drought hardy in full sun with low water, which is why it holds up as a shade and feature tree through inland New South Wales and northern Victoria at a manageable moderate rate of growth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne warning is worth taking seriously. The woody boat-shaped pods split to release seeds surrounded by fine irritant hairs that itch badly on skin and in eyes. Rake pods up whole rather than crushing them, and think twice about siting one over a play area.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 4 sizes, from 330mm up to 150L, priced from $149.00 to $939.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Every size here is established stock rather than a starter plant, so this line is intended for immediate effect rather than for growing on. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"150L","offer_id":64311477404017,"sku":null,"price":939.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"50L","offer_id":64311477436785,"sku":null,"price":399.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400mm","offer_id":64311477469553,"sku":null,"price":299.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"330mm","offer_id":64311477535089,"sku":null,"price":149.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"90L","offer_id":64446170956145,"sku":null,"price":649.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/iaVtdtTkY8_WW1WfVkHDM_8gOurzp7.jpg?v=1787629863"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-magenta-bells-grafted","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton Magenta Bells Grafted","description":"\u003cp\u003eGrafted onto kurrajong rootstock, Magenta Bells flowers years sooner than a seed grown Brachychiton and stays a more manageable size for a suburban block. The draw is the flower: clusters of deep pink to magenta bells carried along the stems while the tree is bare or nearly bare, which is why the display reads so strongly. The foliage is semi deciduous, so the leaf drop that comes before flowering is normal behaviour and not a sick tree.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt suits a feature position or a courtyard shade tree in full sun, wants free draining ground, and asks for very little water once established. Heavy summer watering in clay is the quickest way to lose one.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause it is grafted, two rules apply. Keep the graft union above soil and mulch level, never bury it when topping up beds. And rub off any shoot that appears below the union, because the rootstock will outgrow and swamp the named top if you let it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSizes run from 300mm to advanced 45L.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 3 sizes, from 300mm up to 45L, priced from $129.00 to $329.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Every size here is established stock rather than a starter plant, so this line is intended for immediate effect rather than for growing on. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"45L","offer_id":64311491068273,"sku":null,"price":299.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"300mm","offer_id":64311491133809,"sku":null,"price":129.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400mm","offer_id":64311491166577,"sku":null,"price":329.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/ZAMPTRs9QcuvC_vapvmf8_WqkmDu32.jpg?v=1787629932"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-jerilderie-red","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton Jerilderie Red","description":"\u003cp\u003eJerilderie Red is a selected Brachychiton hybrid that carries the flame tree's clusters of waxy red bells on a frame with kurrajong toughness behind it. Flowering comes as the weather warms through late spring and early summer, and because the tree drops leaf then, the bells sit on bare branches where they read from a long way off. Leaf shape varies on the one tree, from broad and entire to deeply lobed. It goes in as a feature and shade tree where a pure flame tree would sulk.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhy it flowers when the flame tree will not\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe usual complaint about Illawarra flame trees is that they flower when they feel like it, often not for years and then only in some seasons. This selection takes most of that guesswork out and brings better drought and cold tolerance from the kurrajong side of the family, so it holds up through the Riverina, northern Victoria, inland New South Wales and the drier parts of Western Australia where the pure species struggles. Full sun, low water once established, and drainage matters far more than soil richness. Plant it where it can stay, because it resents root disturbance and does not shift happily once settled.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe failure mode is misreading the leaf drop. It is semi deciduous and thins or bares itself around flowering, which is normal and not a sign of stress. Owners see a bare tree in early summer, assume drought, and start watering heavily into soil that is already moist, which is how an otherwise tough tree ends up with root rot. Leave the hose alone through the leafless weeks and let the new foliage come away with the flowering.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eJerilderie Red against the straight species\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet against \u003ca href=\"\/products\/brachychiton-populneus\"\u003eBrachychiton populneus\u003c\/a\u003e, the trade is flower for scale: populneus carries cream bells freckled maroon and grows into a bigger, longer lived paddock tree, while this one is showier and sits more comfortably in a garden or on a driveway. Set against \u003ca href=\"\/products\/brachychiton-discolor\"\u003eBrachychiton discolor\u003c\/a\u003e, the trade is colour and hardiness: the Lacebark gives pink bells and large felted leaves but wants a warm frost free site, where Jerilderie Red takes cold and dry country in its stride. Choose this one when you want red flowering that turns up reliably and a tree that will cope inland.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eLight pruning and a careful hand with fertiliser\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrune after flowering, once the new leaves are away, and keep it to structure: a single leader, well spaced scaffold limbs, and the lower branches lifted gradually if you want to walk or park under it. Avoid heavy cuts into old wood on an established tree. Feed in early spring with a low phosphorus slow release fertiliser suited to natives, water through the first two summers to get roots down, then treat it as a dry country tree and leave it be. Mulch well and keep the mulch back off the trunk. More of the group sits under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/kurrajong\"\u003ekurrajong\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is available in 4 sizes, from 330mm up to 100L, priced from $149.00 to $1039.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot the plant arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Every size here is established stock rather than a starter plant, so this line is intended for immediate effect rather than for growing on. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"100L","offer_id":64311507648881,"sku":null,"price":1039.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500mm","offer_id":64311507714417,"sku":null,"price":399.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"400mm","offer_id":64311507779953,"sku":null,"price":289.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"330mm","offer_id":64311507845489,"sku":null,"price":149.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"420mm","offer_id":64446172692849,"sku":null,"price":279.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/plantdrop-jerilderie-red-tree-brachychiton-jerilderie-red-20260611_1c64cfb1-2052-4d57-bb97-efe7a30155a5.png?v=1785552113"},{"product_id":"brachychiton-rupestris","title":"Kurrajong - Brachychiton rupestris","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Queensland bottle tree spends its early years as an upright, narrow leaved sapling and only swells into the bottle over decades, which is worth knowing before it goes in as an instant feature. What you get in the meantime is a well behaved shade tree with a dense rounded crown and leaves that vary on the same plant, from narrow and simple to deeply lobed. It is semi deciduous, dropping much of that foliage briefly around flowering. It is planted as a feature and for shade in dry districts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eDry country hardiness, and one thing it will not forgive\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrachychiton rupestris comes from the inland brigalow country of southern Queensland, and it carries that hardiness into gardens through inland Queensland and western New South Wales as readily as coastal ones. Plant it in full sun in free draining soil. Growth is moderate, water needs are low once established, and it transplants better than most large trees because of the water it stores in the trunk. Bare branches for a few weeks each year are normal rather than a sign of stress. Frost is tolerated once the trunk has some substance, though young plants are worth protecting in a cold garden. It is also one of the few feature trees that sits near paving without lifting it, because the roots are not aggressive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe failure mode is wet feet. A bottle tree standing in ground that holds water, or watered on a lawn schedule, rots at the base, and there is no coming back from that. Plant it high rather than deep, mound the bed if drainage is doubtful, keep irrigation off the trunk, and let the soil dry between waterings once it is away.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFeature trees for dry ground\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf the brief is a drought hardy specimen with presence, the alternatives here are \u003ca href=\"\/products\/gum-tree-eucalyptus-fasciculosa\"\u003epink gum\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/flindersia-australis\"\u003ecrows ash\u003c\/a\u003e. Pink gum is faster and far more informal, a shelter and shade tree for poor soils rather than a specimen. Crows ash gives a dense evergreen canopy quickly but wants better soil and drops hard capsules. The bottle tree is the slow one, planted for the trunk and the silhouette, and it suits a courtyard or lawn where a big eucalypt would be too much. The other difference is time. Pink gum and crows ash give you a canopy within a few years, while the bottle tree is planted for what it becomes decades later. Others sit under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/kurrajong\"\u003ekurrajong\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eVery little pruning, very little food\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrune in late winter to early spring, before the warm season flush, and keep it light. Remove lower limbs one or two at a time over several years if you want to show off the trunk, since taking them all at once leaves the tree looking stripped and slows it down. Deadwood can come out whenever you see it. Feed sparingly with a slow release fertiliser in early spring for the first few years to build the crown, then leave it alone. Overfeeding and overwatering produce soft growth on a tree built for lean conditions. Keep mulch and soil back from the swelling base of the trunk.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is supplied in one size, 30L, at $199.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot it arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/australian-native-trees-for-shade\"\u003eAustralian native trees\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"30L","offer_id":64311512367473,"sku":null,"price":199.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/pd17-278-queensland-bottle-tree-brachychiton-rupest_bb94ac31-4970-4764-b070-0e44e071f707.png?v=1785552137"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/collections\/pd17-278-queensland-bottle-tree-brachychiton-rupest_bb94ac31-4970-4764-b070-0e44e071f707.png?v=1787348949","url":"https:\/\/plantdrop.com.au\/collections\/kurrajong.oembed","provider":"Plant Drop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}