Trees · Malvaceae

Kurrajong

Brachychiton populneus

Spanish BraquiquitoCatalan BraquiquítonIntroduced8–15 mEvergreen

Tree of the kurrajong — Tree · Photo: Luis Fernández García, CC BY-SA 4.0

An evergreen street tree with glossy leaves that tremble like a poplar's and boat-shaped fruit.

LeafBroad and flat
LeafYes, a single blade
ShapeOval
ShapeSpear-shaped
EdgeSmooth
EdgeWavy or lobed
On the twigOne at a time, staggered
In winterYes, always green
BarkSmooth
FruitCapsule that splits open

The leaf

A simple, glossy leaf, oval with a drawn-out tip and a smooth edge. Some, especially on young trees, have three or five lobes. It hangs from a long stalk and flutters in the wind.

The bark

Smooth and greenish grey, sometimes with fine cracks on old trunks.

The fruit

Woody, boat-shaped capsules, 5 to 7 cm, that split open along one side. Inside are yellow seeds surrounded by itchy hairs.

The flower

Small bell-shaped flowers, creamy white outside and speckled with red inside. It flowers in early summer.

Habit

A tree with a straight trunk, thick at the base, and a dense, oval or pyramid-shaped crown.

Where it grows

Planted in the streets and promenades of many towns in Catalonia and eastern Spain, because it copes very well with drought. It comes from eastern Australia.

What it can be mistaken for

Its name populneus means "like a poplar": the leaf recalls the black poplar, but it is evergreen, thicker and untoothed. The river red gum has much narrower leaves and bark that peels in plates.

A story

Aboriginal Australians roasted and ate its seeds, after carefully removing the irritating hairs. Its trunk stores water, like that of its relative the bottle tree.

Find out more

Photos from Wikimedia Commons:

Tree: Luis Fernández García, CC BY-SA 4.0
Leaf: John Tann, CC BY 2.0
Bark: John Robert McPherson, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fruit: SAplants, CC BY-SA 4.0
Flower: Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 2.0