Brachychiton rupestris (Queensland bottle tree, "Kaedegoshuaogiri")

Japanese name: カエデゴウシュウアオギリ （楓豪州青桐）
Scientific name: Brachychiton rupestris

[Overview]
In the wild it is a tree 10–20 m tall, rarely reaching 25 m, and it drops its leaves in the dry season.
The trunk swells into a bottle shape, reaching 1–3.5 m in diameter, and stores water.
It often does not branch until high up the trunk.
The leaves are alternate; on mature trees they are simple, lanceolate to linear, 4–11 cm long and 0.8–2 cm wide, with entire margins.
On young trees they are deeply divided into 3–9 palmate lobes, and the lobes are lanceolate to linear, 4–14 cm long and 0.3–1 cm wide.
The leaf surface is glossy.
The petioles are long.
Cymes emerge at the branch tips and bear 10–30 cream-colored flowers with red markings.
The fruit is a boat-shaped capsule that splits along one side when ripe.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by cuttings or by grafting.
When grown from seed, it takes 20 years to flower.
Growth is also slow in the early stage, and it reportedly takes more than 5 years for its distinctive tree form to appear.
It prefers fertile soil in a sunny, well-drained place.
Ideally it is kept at 10°C or above for the winter, but if it is allowed to go dormant it tolerates down to 0°C, and if it is damaged by frost it recovers as long as the damage is slight.
Keep potted plants in a bright place such as by a window in winter.
It may drop its leaves when exposed to cold.
From spring to autumn, water thoroughly once the soil surface has dried; in winter keep it on the dry side, and if the leaves have dropped, withhold water.
The air is also apt to be dry in winter, so it is good to mist the leaves with a sprayer.
From spring to autumn, apply slow-release chemical fertilizer placed on the soil.
Dust easily collects on the leaves indoors, so it is good to wipe them occasionally with a lightly dampened cloth.
Pests and diseases include spider mites, scale insects and aphids.

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