Black kurrajong
Brachychiton populneus

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

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.

The leaves are often used to feed animals in dry seasons. There are about 30 Brachychiton species. Most are in Australia. Also put in the family Sterculiaceae.

Where it is found

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. National Arboretum Canberra. It suits hardiness zones 8-11. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Chile, China, East Africa, Egypt, Europe, France, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Mediterranean, Middle East, Mozambique, North Africa, Colombia, North America, Pakistan, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, South America, Southern Africa, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, USA, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

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.

Edible parts

Seeds, gum, roots, sap, seeds - coffee, leaves

How it is grown

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

Its other names

Local names

Nangkata, Nhimin, Nhungga, Plameneče drevo

Synonyms

Clompanus diversifolia (G. Don) Kuntze; Clompanus gregorii Kuntze; Sterculia diversifolius G. Don; Brachychiton diversifolius var. muelleri; Poecilodermis populnea Schott. & Endl.;