A brachychiton or tree of happiness, as well as a bottle tree, amazes with the unusually swollen base of the trunk. Thus, this inhabitant of Australia, Oceania and Southeast Asia fights drought along with cacti and other succulents. The genus of brachychiton is very diverse, in our country the most common dwarf forms that are grown indoors. However, in nature there are specimens with a height of 30 meters or more. Often, experts construct bizarre compositions from thickenings of dwarf varieties. You can see them in the photo of brachychiton or in a specialized store.
Description of Brachychiton
Brachychiton belongs to the family Malvaceae. The genus was first described by Karl Schumann at the end of the 19th century. Very diverse plants are found in the genus, so the description of individual varieties can vary greatly. Brachychitons are deciduous and evergreen perennials. There are shrubs, shrubs and huge trees. In the natural environment, instances of a height of 4 meters are common. There is brachychiton as a houseplant, only 50 cm high. The base of the trunk is 2-6 times thicker than its upper part.
Leaves reach a length of 20 cm and a width of 4 cm. There are specimens with narrow (lanceolate) foliage and wider (lobed or heart-shaped). Leaves are solitary, held on a long petiole. The surface of the sheet is leathery, with pronounced veins.
Simultaneously with the opening of the leaves or after they have fallen, flowers bloom. Many small buds, like a cloud, envelop the entire plant. Flowering lasts more than 3 months. Flowers are 5-6 fused petals with a diameter of about 2 cm. Flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences and are located in the axils of the leaves. The stems of peduncles are small in length. Coloring of flowers can vary greatly from yellow to purple hues. Petals are monochromatic or coated with contrasting spots.
After flowering is completed, the fruit ripens in the form of a thick pod, its length is 15-20 cm. Inside the pod there are dense nuts with a prickly surface.
Popular varieties
There are 60 varieties in the genus brachychiton. Let us dwell on the most popular of them.
Brachychiton is maple leaf. The most popular variety due to its beautiful leaves. They form a magnificent spherical crown. The leaves are three-, seven-bladed, saturated green. The leaf length is 8-20 cm. Trees up to 40 m tall are found in the natural environment, but plants up to 20 m are used in culture. Thickening on the trunk is weakly expressed. The plant blooms in summer with bright red bells, which are collected in thyroid inflorescences.
Rock brachiquiton. The plant has a typical bottle-shaped trunk and is able to grow up to 20 m. At the ground, the trunk thickness reaches 3.5 m, and then there is a gradual narrowing. Cultivated varieties are dominated by small and even dwarf varieties. The foliage is rounded, has 3-7 shares. The length of each leaflet is 7-10 cm, and the width is 1.5-2 cm. At the beginning of September, yellow-milk flowers appear in the form of an open 5-petal bell. The diameter of each flower is from 13 to 18 mm.
Variegated brachychiton. It is an evergreen perennial with a highly branched, dense crown. It is noteworthy that on one tree leaves of various shapes can grow: from lanceolate with a pointed edge to round, multicotyledonous. Blooms profusely throughout the summer. Each flower consists of six fused petals with strongly curved outward edges. The flowers are yellow-pink, and inside, closer to the center, covered with burgundy dots. The buds are collected in the inflorescence "panicle".
Brachychiton multi-colored. It is a deciduous or semi-deciduous tree up to 30 m high. The plant branches strongly and forms a crown with a diameter of up to 15 m. Thickening at the base of the trunk is almost completely absent. The leaves of this species have a different color from the upper and lower sides. On top they are painted in dark green color and have a glossy surface, and on the bottom they are densely covered with whitish villi. The leaves are widely oval, divided into 3-4 lobes, reach a length of 20 cm. From November to February, large pink flowers with a delicate aroma are formed. Brachychitone multicolored has the smell of musk.
Brachiquiton Bidville. Deciduous species with a typical thickening on the trunk. It is characterized by small size and many dwarf forms. The average height is 50 cm. The foliage is divided into 3-5 lobes and densely covered with villi. New leaves are first painted in brown-burgundy tones, but gradually acquire a dark green color. Pink-red flowers appear in mid-spring and form dense panicles on short stems.
Breeding methods
You can buy brachychiton in specialized stores. In addition to adult plants, rooted cuttings and seeds are often sold. Brachychiton is propagated by vegetative and seminal methods. It is most convenient to use the apical cuttings of an adult plant. It is important that the cutaway shoot has at least three internodes. The cut branches are first placed in a solution of a growth stimulant, and after a few hours they are planted in a soil-peat mixture and covered with a jar. In greenhouse conditions, the plant spends the first few weeks before the formation of its own roots.
Seeds before planting for a day are soaked in a stimulating solution or ordinary water, and then sown in prepared soil. The best combination is peat with perlite and sand. Seeds germinate within 7-20 days and require greenhouse conditions. Lowering the temperature to + 23 ° C or less is detrimental to the plant. It is also important to ensure good watering and high humidity. Young plants develop very slowly and require careful care.
Care Rules
Brachychiton needs little home care. It is enough to choose a suitable place for the plant, and it will delight the owner with unpretentiousness. The plant needs a long and bright light. It tolerates direct sunlight in the open air, but on the south windowsill behind a closed window it can get burned. You need to create a shadow or provide a rush of cool air.
The optimum temperature for the plant is + 24 ... + 28 ° C, but it can tolerate cooling to + 10 ° C. In winter, when daylight hours decrease, it is advisable to move the pot to a cooler place so that the stems do not stretch too much.
From early spring to mid-autumn, brachychiton needs abundant watering, but in the cold season, irrigation should be almost completely stopped. It is important to provide good drainage, otherwise the roots will be affected by rot. During a period of drought, brachychiton will use internal resources and may discard leaves. These processes are natural, do not try to prevent them. In the summer, 1-2 times a month, the tree is fed with complex mineral fertilizers.
Brachychiton is transplanted as needed, every 2-3 years. The plant tolerates this procedure well, as well as pruning. It helps to form the most attractive type of crown.
The most common pests for brachychitone are the spider mite, whitefly and scale insect. A shower with warm water (up to + 45 ° C) or spraying with disinfectants (actellik, fufanon, fitoverm) helps to cope with them.
The plant is very sensitive to air pollution, especially to tobacco smoke. The leaves begin to turn yellow and fall, so it is recommended to ventilate the room more often.
