Jerilderie Red Tree

Jerilderie Red (Brachychiton 'Jerilderie Red') is the flame tree for gardeners who have run out of patience. It is a hybrid of the Illawarra Flame Tree and the Kurrajong, with the scarlet bell flowers of the first and the toughness of the second, so it flowers younger and more dependably. Expect a deciduous shade tree to about 8m tall and 5m across: native, drought hardy and low maintenance.

Why you'll love it

• Red flowers you will actually see. Straight Illawarra Flame Trees can sulk for a decade. This hybrid was selected to bloom younger and hold a canopy of scarlet bells in early summer.
• A real shade tree at a manageable size. Around 8m tall and 5m wide, so it shades a back yard or a driveway without the scale of a fig or a poinciana.
• Built for hard country. Drought, heat and wind tolerant and content in poor soil, with the Kurrajong parent doing most of that work.
• Native, bird friendly and frost hardy. Lorikeets and honeyeaters work the flowers, and it takes frost once established.

Where it works best

Shade tree in a suburban block. One tree gives dappled summer shade over a lawn, then sheds its leaves before flowering so winter sun reaches the house. Allow at least 4m of clearance from the building.

Driveways and avenues. Plant 6m to 8m apart. At that spacing the canopies meet overhead at maturity while each tree keeps a clean trunk and its own shape.

Windbreaks and rural planting. Wind and poor soil tolerance suit an exposed paddock edge, particularly in arid districts where the choice of flowering trees is narrow.

Growing Jerilderie Red in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, with room for a 5m canopy. It performs across subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid gardens, a wider range than almost any flowering native tree. Young trees want protection through their first two winters in cold districts.

Soil. Not fussy. It grows in sand, loam, clay loam and poor rocky ground provided water moves away. Work compost through the backfill and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, then it looks after itself. Feed a controlled release native fertiliser, low in phosphorus, in early spring for the first few years. Overfeeding a mature tree pushes leaf at the expense of flower.

Pruning. Very little. Remove lower branches in the first few years to lift the canopy, and take out crossing or damaged wood in late winter.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in four advanced sizes: 400mm pots, 45L, 100L and 200L. The 400mm and 45L trees are the usual starting point, already carrying a straight leader. The 100L and 200L are semi mature specimens for anyone who wants a canopy in a few years.

This is a deciduous tree, so between late autumn and early spring it arrives with bare branches. That is normal. Expect roughly half a metre of height a year once established. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, which applies to the 45L and larger sizes, and every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing the right canopy tree for shade
• Browse the full Australian native tree range
• Trees suited to driveways and avenues
• More native plants with red flowers

Common questions

How soon will it flower?

Sooner than an Illawarra Flame Tree, which is the reason this hybrid exists. Advanced trees commonly flower within a few years of planting.

How far should I plant it from the house?

Allow at least 4m, which gives the 5m canopy room and keeps the trunk clear of footings and paving. For an avenue, space the trees 6m to 8m apart.

Will it cope with a dry inland garden?

That is where it is at its best. It is drought, heat and poor soil tolerant, and it suits arid, semi-arid and Mediterranean districts once the first two summers are behind it.