Brachychiton acerifolius (a.Cunn. ex G.don) F.muell.

A medium sized tree. It grows 12-15 m high. It can be 35 m tall. It can spread 6-12 m wide. The trunk is straight and stout. The crown is rounded in older trees. It loses its leaves for a short time before flowering. The leaves vary in shape. They are rough. They can be oval or deeply lobed. There can be 5 or 7 lobes. They are 8-20 cm long by 25 cm across. The flowers are bright red and bell shaped. They are about 1.5 cm across. They occur in large open panicles at the ends of branches. The fruit are boat shaped follicles. They are dark brown and woody. They are 10 cm long and occur in clusters. The seeds are oblong and have a hairy coat.

A tropical plant. It is native to N. Australia. It suits tropical and subtropical places. It will grow on a range of soils and in many climatic conditions. It grows naturally in warm, wet, coastal slopes in eastern Australia. In tropical Queensland it grows between sea level and 1000 m altitude. It can stand light frost. It needs well drained soil. It suits hardiness zones 9-10.

Caution: The pods have irritant hairs which need to be avoided during harvesting. The seeds are cleaned then roasting makes the skin easier to removed. The seed kernel can also be eaten raw.

Plants can be grown from seed or softwood cuttings. Plants transplant easily. Seeds remain viable for several years. Seeds usually germinate in about 2-4 weeks.