A big Illawara flame tree in full color

Red Tree - Glenbrook Avenue, Clayton, originally uploaded by avlxyz.

This has to be one of the most spectacular images of a flame tree that I have seen yet! To start with the size of the tree is a lot bigger than most that I have seen. This tree is a Brachychiton Acerifolius, native to Australia.

Flame tree in full bloom - Brachychiton Acerifolius

IMGP1421.JPG, originally uploaded by flagondry.

This native Australian tree is one of the more dramatic members of the Brachychiton familhy. As you can see from this picture it can be very dramatic when in bloom. In this case all the leaves have fallen just prior to blooming. This does not always occur though. I have seen many Flame trees keep most of their leaves while in bloom and with far fewer flowers. When the the flame tree flowers fall to the ground they totally cover the surface with little red bells that look like drops of blood.

Scenic shot of a large Bottle tree

Bottle tree, originally uploaded by pierre pouliquin.

This is one of the best shots that I have seen of the Queensland Bottle tree (Brachychiton Rupestris). I especially like to see this tree in a natural setting rather than in a park for turists in in somebodies yard. This bottle tree also has a great shape unlike many of this species planted in areas where they only grow short and bulgy at the base. If you had to choose a bottle to go with this bottle tree it would have to be a two litre Coke bottle.

Queensland Bottle tree - brachychiton rupestris

182 Queensland Bottle tree brachychiton rupestris 20-10-2007, originally uploaded by Jen 64.

This is a great image of the Queensland Bottle tree (brachychiton rupestris). It does not take too much imagination to see why this tree is called the Bottle tree, even though this one has gotten so fat at the base that it has almost lost its "bottle shape".