Features of Breeding Brachichiton at home

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Brachychiton ( Brachychiton ) is one of the most unusual outwardly houseplants belonging to the Sterculia family. It grows naturally in Australia and Southeast Asia. In nature, it is a tree with a spreading crown and a thick trunk, narrowed at the top. At home, it has a very modest size, grown in a pot.

Description

Brachichiton is a plant presented in the form of a shrub or semi-shrub. In nature, it grows up to 2 m, in room conditions – up to 0.5 m. The shoot is powerful, covered with light green bark, which eventually becomes gray. The plant has a wide crown, consisting of several upward, branched stems.

The bottom of the trunk is much wider than the top. A supply of water accumulates in the lower part of the trunk, which is associated with the tropical origin of this crop. Thanks to this feature, it is able to withstand heat and drought for a long time.

The leaves are large, lanceolate, lobed, shiny, smooth, or dotted with small pronounced veins. Above, the leaf plates are bright green, below – light green or white, attached to long petioles.

The root system is branched, with a bizarre interlacing of roots. Thick roots can rise above the soil and bend around the tree trunk. Inflorescences are corymbs or racemose panicles. They consist of bell-shaped flowers with five and six petals.

The diameter of the flower is 1 – 1.5 cm. The color is varied. Some species have dark blotches or patterns on the petals. Flowering can occur at any time of the year. After the flowering period, fruits appear on the plant – pods with seeds inside.

Take a look at the following photo of a brachychiton tree, which proves how unusual and majestic it looks:

Kinds

Maple leaf brachychiton ( Brachychiton acerifolius ) is an evergreen tree with a spreading crown, reaching up to 40 m in nature. In room conditions, its height does not exceed 30 cm. It has a curved trunk with a strong rough gray bark. The leaves are large, wedge-shaped, divided into 3-5 lobes, smooth, shiny, dark green on top. The flowers are bell-shaped, 2 cm in diameter, red color. Collected in lush paniculate inflorescences. Flowering can be observed in the summer.

Rock brachychiton ( Brachychiton rupestris ). A tree with a powerful, strongly expanding trunk towards the bottom. The leaves are expressive, with a leathery surface, dark green. In the upper part of the trunk, strong, slightly branching shoots develop.

Brachychiton multi-leaved ( Brachychiton populneus ) – a miniature tree in room conditions with a thick trunk and many branches forming a spreading crown. The leaves are oval, shiny, rich green. Attached to branches with long petioles. Inflorescences corymbose, develop in leaf axils. The flowers are yellow, cream or green with brown spots on the petals. This species begins to bloom in early summer. Flowering continues for 3 months.

Brachychiton multicolored ( Brachychiton discolor ). One of the most decorative types of this plant. It has a massive, straight trunk with gray-green bark. Leaves 3 and 7-lobed, broadly oval, with a light pile on the surface. Attached to long petioles. The inflorescences are lush, corymbose, consist of many bell-shaped flowers of a light pink hue. The tree begins to bloom in June, delighting the eye with beautiful buds until August.

Cultivation

A young brachychiton plant is obtained using seeds or cuttings. Growing this culture from cuttings is more often practiced by flower growers, since this propagation method is very simple and effective. To do this, in the spring, during formative pruning, cuttings 8–10 cm long are cut from the upper stems. Each of them should have three internodes.

Planting material after cutting is placed in a solution that stimulates root growth, then buried in a mixture of peat and sand, which are taken in equal parts. The container with the cuttings is covered with cellophane, removed for germination in a warm place with a temperature of at least 23 degrees. In the process of growing young plants, periodically moisten the substrate.

With the seed method of propagation of indoor brachychiton, the seed is evenly distributed over the surface of the earth, sprayed using a sprayer, covered with a film and cleaned in a bright room. Crops are aired daily, watered as the soil dries.

Care

In order for an unusual exotic tree to please with its beauty for as long as possible, you should follow the rules below:

  • Lighting. It is necessary to place this culture on the windowsill, where it will receive enough light. Windows can face west and east. On a south-facing windowsill, direct midday rays can burn the foliage, so you have to create shading. The north side is not recommended for growing light-loving crops. The lack of lighting will negatively affect its decorative effect.
  • Watering. When caring for a brachichiton at home, it is important to adjust the irrigation system, the well-being of the tree will largely depend on this. You will need to use soft settled water. In the warm season, it is necessary to moisten the substrate as it dries. On hot days, watering should be plentiful. From autumn to the end of winter, water procedures should be kept to a minimum.
  • The soil. This tree requires a loose soil composition with the addition of leafy soil, coarse sand, and peat. Take the components in a ratio of 2:1:1.
  • Topdressing. Top dressing should be applied from the spring-summer period 1 – 2 times a month, using mineral compositions for decorative indoor plants.
  • Transfer. This plant does not need frequent transplants, it is enough to carry out this work as needed. The fact that the time has come for a transplant will be evidenced by overgrown roots that do not fit within the pot. Usually adult specimens are transplanted 1 time in 4 years.
  • Pruning. At the beginning of spring, the brachychiton crown is shaped to give it a beautiful shape. This plant lends itself well to pruning, quickly recovers after it and begins to actively grow new shoots.

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