Ornatec InternationalSpecies reference sheet ยท ornatecinternational.com
Cavanillesia arborea
Barriguda Bottle Tree
Nothing else in a plant schedule looks like Cavanillesia arborea. The trunk swells into a smooth grey barrel, ringed with horizontal growth marks and tapering abruptly into a few thick branches, and it stands leafless through much of the dry season with clusters of winged fruit hanging from the bare crown.
It is a specimen tree in the strict sense: planted singly, given room, and read as sculpture rather than as canopy. It comes from the seasonally dry forests of eastern Brazil and needs sharp drainage above everything else.
Specifications
- Height15 to 25 metres
- Width8 to 12 metres
- Native toSeasonally dry forests of eastern Brazil and Bolivia
- FoliagePalmately compound leaves carried only through the wet season; deciduous
- Growth rateModerate
Conditions
- SoilRequires deep, sharply drained soil and will not tolerate heavy or waterlogged ground
- LightFull sun
- WaterLow; the swollen trunk stores water and carries the tree through long dry seasons
- ClimateThrives in seasonally dry tropical and subtropical regions
Additional Features
- FlowersPink to red flowers borne on the bare crown at the end of the dry season
- UsesSpecimen and feature planting in plazas, entrances, botanic collections and dry gardens
- SpacingPlant 10 to 12 metres apart, or singly with clear ground around the trunk
- Low MaintenanceRequires almost no pruning; protect the soft bark from mowers and vehicle strike
- Pest ResistanceGenerally sound where drainage is good, though rot follows any wound in wet soil
- Drought ToleranceWater storage in the trunk makes it exceptionally tolerant of long dry periods
- FormA smooth, swollen, barrel-shaped trunk carrying a sparse and open crown
The Barriguda Bottle Tree is a sculptural specimen for a dry, free-draining site, and it should be given the space to be looked at.
Availability by project review. Sizes, quantities, origin and export readiness are confirmed after your plant schedule is reviewed against destination, timing and quarantine requirements. MEWA certified for supply into Saudi Arabia; Australian Export Registered Establishment.
Enquiries: sales@ornatecinternational.com
310 Donkin Rd, Utchee Creek QLD 4871, Australia
Prepared 08 September 2026