Brachychiton vinicolor

Vinicolor flowers in a colour few trees offer, deep wine red shading to maroon-pink, carried in bells through spring and summer on a neat conical frame. It is a hybrid of the flame tree and the lacebark out of south-east Queensland, and it takes the flowering habit of one and the discipline of the other.

In the landscape

The conical habit keeps it tidier than the flame tree, which suits it to streets, driveways and avenues at 6–8 m centres where a rounded crown would overreach. It also holds a lawn as a specimen, and the wine tone of the flowering reads best against light stone or rendered walls rather than dark foliage.

Growing notes

A hybrid of Brachychiton acerifolius and Brachychiton discolor, deciduous to semi-deciduous around flowering and carrying wine-red to maroon-pink bells through spring and summer. Suited to Queensland, New South Wales and warmer Victorian districts, tolerant of moderate frost, pollution, coastal exposure and tropical heat. It takes most soils provided they drain, and reaches up to about 15 m tall by 6–8 m wide in the ground. Hardy and drought tolerant once established.

This tree

Field-grown ex-ground at Ravensbourne Farm, root-pruned and basket-lifted, delivered and craned Australia-wide. Price on application through the Shortlist.