Koelreuteria bipinnataChinese Flame Tree

Late summer is when Koelreuteria bipinnata justifies itself. Large open panicles of yellow flowers stand above the canopy, and as they go over they are replaced by papery seed capsules in salmon and rose that hold their colour for weeks, so the tree reads as being in flower long after it has finished.

Underneath that display is a genuinely good street tree: a rounded 8 to 15 metre canopy on a clean trunk, tolerant of compaction, alkalinity, pollution and drought once established.

Specifications

• Height8 to 15 metres
• Width8 to 12 metres
• Native toSouthern China
• FoliageLarge bipinnate leaves turning clear yellow before falling; deciduous
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilTolerates a wide range including compacted, alkaline and clay soils; prefers free-draining ground
• LightFull sun
• WaterLow to moderate; drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in warm temperate and subtropical regions with a defined winter

Additional Features

• FlowersLarge open panicles of small yellow flowers in late summer
• FruitPapery inflated capsules in salmon and rose, holding colour for weeks after flowering
• UsesStreet and boulevard planting, car park shade, plaza and park trees
• SpacingPlant 8 to 10 metres apart for street work
• Low MaintenancePrune in winter to establish clear trunk height; expect seed capsule litter in autumn
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound under urban conditions
• Drought ToleranceEstablished trees tolerate extended dry periods and restricted root volume
• Seasonal AppealYellow flowers, coloured capsules and clear yellow autumn foliage in sequence

The Chinese Flame Tree is a hard-working urban shade tree that happens to put on the best late-summer display of any of them.