Lacebark Tree / Pink Flame Tree

A mature lacebark tree has a stout grey trunk that swells slightly near the base. This hints at the water-storing habit that gives its relatives the name bottle tree. Above the trunk sits a compact, rounded crown of large leaves. Each leaf is cut into three to seven pointed lobes. New bark is smooth and greenish. Over the years it splits into a web of shallow ridges and grooves, and this lacy pattern gives the tree its common name. The lacebark grows slowly. Wild trees in Australian forests can top 90 feet, but garden trees usually stay much smaller and take decades to fill out.

In its native dry rainforests, the lacebark faces a long dry season each year. It copes by dropping most or all of its leaves before it blooms. Bare branches let the summer flowers show clearly, which helps pollinators find them. In Australia, these visitors include native stingless bees and several nectar-feeding birds. The same drought-tuned roots make a grown tree fairly self-reliant. Once its roots spread through fast-draining soil, it needs only occasional deep watering. It grows best in full sun and slowly builds a broad canopy of shade. Its compact roots also make it a manageable street or lawn tree. Young trees are tender to frost and need cover through hard cold. The woody seed pods that follow the flowers can drop litter below the canopy.

The lacebark is monoecious, which means one tree carries separate male and female flowers. Look closely and you will see the blooms have no petals. Their deep pink cups are formed from the calyx instead: the ring of sepals that usually sits green beneath a flower. Here it takes on the color and role that petals normally play, a pattern seen across the mallow family. The genus name Brachychiton comes from Greek words for short tunic. It points to the fine bristles that wrap the seeds inside each boat-shaped pod. Those bristles, and the downy hairs on the flower buds, can irritate skin. It is wise to wear gloves when you handle the pods or clean the seeds.