Brachychiton acerifolius (Flame Tree)

The Illawarra Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) stops traffic for a few weeks each year. It settles at around 12m tall and 6m wide, and drops its leaves before flowering, so the scarlet bells hang against bare grey branches. This is the ex ground option: field grown, advanced, and years ahead of a potted tree.

Why you'll love it

• A display nothing else matches. Thousands of scarlet bells cover the whole canopy in early summer.
• An Australian native shade tree. A broad canopy of large lobed leaves throws real shade through the hottest months.
• Roots that stay out of trouble. Non-invasive, rare in a tree this size, so it can sit near a driveway or lawn.
• Fast to establish. Quick growing for its eventual size, and ex ground stock skips the slow first decade.
• Tough once settled. Drought, heat and salt tolerant, for a hot open block or a coastal garden.

Where it works best

Feature planting. Give it a lawn or front garden on its own, at least 6m of clear width and well away from the house. The flowering is best seen from a distance.

Shade trees. Dense enough to sit under in summer, and the winter leaf drop lets sun back onto the house.

Driveways and avenues. Spaced 8m to 10m apart along a drive it makes a serious avenue, flowering as one.

Growing the Illawarra Flame Tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun and plenty of room, in tropical, subtropical or warm temperate gardens. Light frost only, so cold inland districts and frosty southern gardens are not suitable. Young trees need protection through their first winters even in mild areas.

Soil. Deep and well drained. It grows on most soil types but not in wet ground, so mound on heavy clay and avoid low spots.

Water and feed. Water deeply for the first two summers, then it is genuinely drought tolerant. A slow release fertiliser in early spring is enough. Heavy feeding produces leaf at the expense of flower.

Pruning. Little is wanted. Remove damaged wood and lift the lower branches while young, but do not cut into the main framework. Flowering is unreliable in the early years and may skip a season.

What to expect when it arrives

Ex ground stock is field grown and lifted with a root ball, sold here at 4m to 5m and 6m to 7m. It needs machinery to place and clear vehicle access to the site. Plant in the cooler months where you can, water it in hard, and stake it for two years.

Expect a plain first season while the roots recover, and two to three years before reliable flowering. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Plants are delivered Australia wide, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full ex ground tree range
• Native plants with red flowers
• Choosing a canopy tree for shade
• Compare other Australian native trees

Common questions

How big will it get in a suburban garden?

Around 12m tall and 6m wide in a garden, though the species reaches 30m or more in rainforest. Allow 6m of clear width.

Why has my flame tree not flowered?

Young trees take several years to begin, and flowering is heaviest after a dry winter. A wet winter or heavy feeding both reduce the display.

Will the roots lift paving or block pipes?

Non-invasive, unusually so for a tree this size. Still allow a few metres of clearance from hard surfaces and services.