Common Name: Flame Tree

General Information

Brachychiton acerifolius is a deciduous tree growing up to 35 metres tall. The tree loses its leaves for a few weeks prior to flowering[]. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 70cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use of its edible seed and useful fibre. A very ornamental plant, flowering when leafless, it is a popular street tree and it is often grown for its display of brilliant red flowers[].

Known Hazards

There are irritating hairs inside the seedpods. Extreme caution must be taken with these hairs because they irritate the skin, are easily inhaled and have been known to cause blindness[].
Like many members of the Sterculiaceae, this species produces mucilage when wounded. The mucilage produced if the fruit is damaged by insects has a corrosive action and, if it should fall on any motor vehicle parked under the tree ithen t will often strip the paint from the vehicle[].

Botanical References

,

Range

Australia - New South Wales, Queensland.

Habitat

Wet and dry rainforests at elevations up to 1,000 metres[]. Found in drier, more seasonal rain forest and also in well developed rain forests, growing on a variety of sites[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	30.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Brachychiton acerifolius ranges from the tropics to the warm temperate zone of eastern Australia, where it is found at elevations up to 1,000 metres[, ]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 26 - 32°c, but can tolerate 10 - 36°c[]. The plant is relatively hardy when dormant, tolerating occasional short-lived lows to about -5°c, although young new growth can be killed at 0°c. It the tree is damaged by frost then, so long as the damage is not too severe, it usually recovers well. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,400 - 1,900mm, but tolerates 1,300 - 2,000mm[].
Prefers a sunny position[]. An extremely adaptable plant[], it grows best in a moderately fertile, well-drained soil[]. Prefers a sheltered position[]. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 5.5 - 7.5[].
A fast-growing tree, so long as it is well supplied with moisture and nutrients[].
A very ornamental tree with a spectacular flowering display, which happens when the tree is leafless. Heavy flowering events only occur every few years[].
The tree hybridizes in the wild with Brachychiton discolor[].

Edible Uses

Seed - cooked[]. The yellow seeds can be roasted and eaten, but special care needs to be taken with their preparation because of the dangerous hairs inside the seed pod[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A fibre is obtained from the inner bark[]. It can be used to make twine for fishing nets and fishing lines[].
The bark is fully 5cm thick when the tree is fully grown, and furnishes bast with a most beautiful lace-like texture. The fibre is very simply prepared by steeping, and is suitable for cordage and nets, ropes, mats, baskets, etc[]. It is also useful as a paper material[]. The tow is of a very elastic nature, and is suitable for upholstering purposes, such as stuffing mattresses or pillows[].

A gum resembling gum tragacanth (Astragalus spp.) in appearance exudes from the trunk[]. This gum, however, does not thicken water, except to an almost inappreciable extent, and, therefore, could not have the same economic uses to which the very viscid tragacanth is put[].

An extract of the leaves is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an antioxidant, flavouring, masking agent, perfume, hair conditioner and skin conditioner[].

A dye is obtained from the seed vessels[].

The heartwood is white; not clearly demarcated from the pale sapwood[]. The wood is straight-grained, coarse-textured, light in weight, soft, fibrous and not durable[, ]. Like other woods of this genus it can be torn away by the finger-nail, so it can have but a very limited use[, ]. It is used for plywood, in model making as a substitute for balsa wood and to make hat blocks[].

Propagation

Seed - it usually germinates well, if erratically, when pre-soaked[].

Cuttings of ripe wood[].

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