Brachychiton populneus x rupestris

hybrid kurrajong
Hybrid of an aspen-like species and the bottle tree. Drought-tolerant, hardy, picturesque in foliage with fat trunk. Try growing indoors, too. Briefly deciduous. Subtle flowers.
height 8–35ft
width 6–30ft
tolerates Cold, Drought, Heat, Pots
water
needs
Low
water
info
This tree should be watered deeply and regularly (when the top couple of inches of soil has dried). Usually this will mean every week or two during dry weather. A few years after the tree has been planted, once it’s established, you can likely cut back to deep infrequent waterings. Use drippers, emitters a slow stream of water so that it doesn’t run off; allow the water to trickle all the way down through the deepest layers of soil.
Often a tree will tap into groundwater and need less watering or none at all, once established. However, if you want to increase the speed of growth, water more frequently in the warm season.

A great trick for watering street trees is to drill a half-inch hole on the bottom edge of a 5-gallon bucket, then set the bucket with the hole aligned next to the tree and fill the bucket with water. Fill once for a 1-5 gallon plant, fill twice for a 7-15 gallon plant, three times for 25g or larger plants.
hardy
to
17F
exposure Part Shade – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor
In or Out
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing Acid 1/2 Strength, Low Needs
origin Hybrid, Australia
california
native
No
sunset
zones
8, 9, 11–H2

Sunset Zones Map

Growing Notes

Reveal beautiful thick, tuberous roots by removing top soil layer and planting high. This is especially attractive in containers.
To increase growth rate of both girth and height, fertilize lightly from spring to fall and water more frequently.
Roots can be aggressive; plant away from water and sewer lines.

Special Interest

Brachychiton is known for its polymorphous foliage. Leaves change through the tree’s growth phases. This hybrid shows even more variation in foliage than we’ve seen within either parent species. We are curious to see what qualities it shows as it gets bigger.

More Info

Remarkably tolerant of transplanting.