Brachychiton is a prominent representative of the Sterkuliev family. This plant is popularly known as the bottle tree. This name originated from the unusual structure of the barrel, which is thickened and intertwined, thereby forming a bottle.
Australia, Oceania and Southeast Asia are the places where Brachychiton can be found in the wild. The discovery of this plant belongs to Karl Moritz Schumann, a German scientist of the 19th century. The combination of two Greek words "brachy" (short) and "chiton" (shirt) gave the name to this original bottle tree. And all because of the shaggy seeds of the plant, which are very similar to a shirt with a yellow fleece.
Brachychiton care at home
Location and lighting
A tree native to arid regions responds well to direct sun exposure. On the north side, it will grow poorly due to low illumination. Brachychiton can be protected from the scorching sun only at noon in summer. In the spring, you should not immediately transfer it to the southern windowsill, let it get used to the sun gradually.
Temperature
The heat-loving tree prefers high temperatures in the spring-summer period from 25 to 28 degrees. In winter, put it in a cool place from 10-16 degrees. Do not forget about regular ventilation, as brachychiton does not tolerate stale air.
Air humidity
Dry air is not a problem for the bottle tree. However, the plant should be kept away from batteries in winter.
Watering
The amount of watering depends on the season: in the summer the tree is watered regularly, and in the winter it is hardly watered. The surface of the soil should dry out a little before moistening. With the onset of autumn, water the plant less often.
The soil
The substrate for brachychiton should be made breathable and not rich in nutrients. Sand should be an obligatory part of them.
Top dressing and fertilizers
Only mineral types of fertilizers are suitable for Brachychiton. Top dressing is carried out in spring and summer, once a season, and with the onset of autumn and until March, they are not fed at all.
Transfer
The bottle tree is transplanted as the root system grows. The planting depth of the tree in fresh soil should be the same as the previous time. Sometimes, for greater decorativeness, the root clot is exposed more, but then the balance will need to be maintained with the help of a heavy clay pot. Otherwise, the weight of the top of the tree will outweigh the weight of the underground.
Pruning
With the beginning of spring, elongated branches are pruned at the bottle tree. They lengthen over the winter, due to low illumination. Cut off shoots can propagate the plant.
Reproduction of brachychiton
Brachychiton is usually propagated by seeds and apical cuttings.The most common reproduction of brachychiton is by the upper shoots cut in the spring. Ten-centimeter cuttings are exposed to a stimulant for better rooting, and then planted in a peat or sand mixture. The process of emergence of roots is accompanied by a shelter to maintain humidity and a high temperature of at least 24-27 degrees.
Bottle tree care problems
- Lack of light often leads to diseases of brachychiton, and leaves unaccustomed to the sun can suffer burns.
- Waterlogging is detrimental to the roots of the tree, they can rot.
- You should also protect the plant from tobacco smoke.
Popular types of brachychiton
Maple-leaved brachychiton (Brachychiton acerifolius)
Under natural conditions, this tree reaches several tens of meters in height, and its trunk diameter is up to 12 m. Its branches are spreading, and the leaves have a leathery shiny surface and a bright green color that does not change throughout the year. There are leaves with a solid form, as well as finger-dissected with the number of segments from 3 to 5. The tree blooms with bright red flowers, which form an inflorescence in the form of a panicle.
Brachychiton rock (Brachychiton rupestris)
The height of this tree with evergreen foliage is less than the maple-leaved brochichiton, therefore this particular variety is cultivated in room culture and is called the bottle tree. The widened part of the barrel, which reaches two meters, serves to accumulate liquid. This feature arose in the plant as a defensive reaction to an arid climate.
Brachychiton varifolia (Brachychiton populneus)
Trees of this variety are strongly vyatvat, and their height varies from 6 to 20 m.Dark green leaves have a shiny surface, their length can be from 5 to 10 cm. and leaves cut into 3-5 lobes. The variegated brachychiton blooms with cream, green or pink flowers with a brown or red speck. They have a swollen shape and are collected in panicle-shaped inflorescences.
Brachychiton multi-colored (Brachychiton discolor)
Unlike other types of bottle tree, this one has foliage that renews throughout the year. The bark on its extensive trunk is light green in color. The leaves are in the form of wide ovals, dissected into 3-7 lobules, located on elongated petioles, have a shaggy surface and reach 10-20 cm in length. The leaf plate is green on top, painted whitish below. Bells of pink or red flowers make up the panicles of inflorescences in the form of scutes.
