Brachychiton populneus (Schott & Endl.) R.Br.

A medium sized tree. It grows 10-20 m tall. It can spread 5-12 m wide. The trunk is stout. The young leaves have 3 lobes. The adult leaves are oval with a long point. They are shiny green on top and dull underneath. The leaves are 5-10 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. The flowers are separately male and female. They are bell shaped and are cream in the centre with red flecks. They are 1-2 cm long. They occur in small clusters. The fruit is a boat shaped follicle. It is leathery and 3-7 cm long. There are 12 or more seeds in a pod. The seeds are 8 mm long by 5 mm wide. The seeds have yellow prickly hairs.

A tropical plant. It is native to E. Australia. It grows in temperate and semiarid places. It will grow in a range of soil and climate conditions. It grows naturally on rocky hillsides. It needs well-drained soil. It will grow on limestone soils. It can stand heavy frosts. It can grow in coastal conditions. It grows in areas with an annual rainfall between 300-880 mm. It grows between 200-780 m above sea level. It can grow in arid places. In the Inland Botanical Gardens Mildura. It suits hardiness zones 8-11.

Caution. The fine irritant hairs need to be removed during harvesting. The seeds are eaten raw or roasted. They can be ground into flour and used for dampers or scones. They are also made into a coffee-like drink. They are roasted and ground then used to brew coffee. The young roots are boiled and eaten.

Plants can be grown from seed. Young plants can be transplanted easily.