Glorious Brachychiton

Australia is home to some 30+ species of Brachychiton and additionally, many naturally occurring and horticulturally produced hybrids. There are many people who know about the colour flowering delight of Brachychiton particularly that of the magnificent Illawarra Flame Tree, Brachychiton acerifolia but there are others you should know about, equally as vibrant.

Brachychiton hybrid ‘Jerilderie Red’ leads the way. It is an attractive dense tree that grows to approximately 8m tall and 7m wide. While its origin is uncertain, earliest correspondence has it occurring as a seedling in the grounds of the Jerilderie Primary School New South Wales where the tree still stands today. With a standard tree shape, strong single trunk and an attractive green foliage on slender petioles, its worth as a specimen tree is undeniable.

Add to this a stunning display of red bell-shaped flowers produced on masse in the summer months, and its position intensifies as a fresh native selection for designers, developers, landscapers, arborists and consumers looking for something different. It is no wonder that the tree at Jerilderie attracts great attention when it flowers each year.

Its form does not come true from seed and so work is being done to propagate using the latest grafting techniques. Brachychiton graft readily and are very reliable, usually grafted onto B. populneus for drought prone areas, or onto B. acerifolia in wetter areas.

The form and colour of this magnificent Australian tree makes it suitable for many urban situations including commercial landscapes, streetscapes, schools, parks, golf courses and other amenity plantings as well as a very reliable shade tree in smaller gardens. Fully mature at 8m tall and after 20 years of observation it is an ideal evergreen selection with unmistakable clout.

Brachychiton ‘Jerilderie Red’ is one of a number of new grafted natives becoming increasingly available to the Australian market, heralding a new era of quality grown, compact, uniform native trees. This grafting program ensures that Brachychiton ‘Jerilderie Red’ can be brought into our communities where their beauty and significance as a signature Australian tree can be truly appreciated.