Dear Toni,

Are you speaking of Brachychiton, specifically B. rupestris?

My two are in the ground - one's doing well, one hasn't...oh well. The well-growing one gets partial sun, but I see mature specimens in full sun, and given ample water, they grow quite rapidly.

Heat, water and light will get you far, lass - I think the only time these slow down is in the winter here, when night time temps are in the 40s.

I think they'd be slow for you when it's winter, but if you want to give them all the growing opportunities you can, put them outside in the spring/summer - I think they'd like that very much. Better yet, to see some really extraordinary growth, plant them in the ground for that period - they'll go bonkers.

Can you post a pic?

Jeff, planting in the garden is an ideal idea. I just might do it next spring..the only problem is I have a dog and for some reason, the last 2 yrs he's decided 'going' in my garden is better than other parts of the yard. LOL. Perhaps if I set them back towards the fence they won't get a 'golden shower' or worse!! LOL

They are summered outdoors, every yr since I've had them. Geesh, I need to move to a warmer climate..LOL.

Bracy, is one of the bottle trees I have, but there are 4 others..I'd have to take out past journals and see if I started writing name of plants to find out their names. Each bears different shaped leaves.
BTW, if I set in garden, do I plant with or without a pot?

Flash, there's pics on my website under C&S's, but I can try posting the site here..Thanks, Toni

Jeff, besised the Bracy, two others are, Jatropha and Bombax. I don't know the other two names.
I'll take a pic of the bunch, add on my website, then post here..I have pics of bottle trees, but don't know how to post more than one pic at a time.LOL..

See, Jeff just answered all you need to know. I've only had mine a few months, and this will be its first Winter with me. So, I really don't know enough to answer your question. I went and looked at them ground planted near where we have our meetings, and have convinced DH to let me plant mine into the ground in our front yard when we start re-landscaping.

I have three stems in one pot, all the same plant, about 2 feet tall.

Cena, you guys are soooo lucky..can u imagine if I planted these trees in the garden? LOL..
BTW, I've had these trees 2-5 yrs, but they're just so slow-growing. Perhaps come spring I should repot, but last summer one tipped over and the roots are still small. I don't want to overpot. The two tallest are about 1' maybe 10". Like I said I'll snap pics..
Cena which bottle tree do you have? Do you have a pic? I'd love to see it. Toni

I'v heard of a Baobob relatve that is shaped like a coke-bottle and are called bottle trees, are these the same thing?

Flash, baobob's are huge trees but ppl grow them as bonsais, too. Requires a lot of work..
I hope this is the right pic of my bottle trees..not very good but hey I'm new at this pic taking..lol..Toni

Here is a link that might be useful: Does anyone grow Bottle Trees?

My dadgum Juno internet is jus so wonderful, It wont let me see your pictures ;-(

I have nothing to add of relevance to this thread but I wanted you to know Toni that I fell out of my chair laughing when you used 'golden shower'.

Two words I never would have quessed I would read in the HP forum.

MBT

(still laughing)

MBT, glad I was able to make you smile/chuckle..we all can use a good laugh sometimes..LOL..Toni

Uh Toni, I'm getting into trouble I think. "Bottle Tree" is used for those bottle shaped species of brachychiton, from Australia. B. rupestris and popul....(something) are the two most frequently grown. Other brachychitons don't make particularly fat trunks. They are trees in subtropical parts of California. About ten years ago, at a meeting of our local C&S society I saw a slide of a seven year old rupestris planted at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, Ca. It was 45 feet tall and had a really nice bottle at the base. Uh-huh..... Trouble is, when grown slowly in small pots they don't make much of a bottle. When grown in the ground they either get really tall with the bottle shape at the bottom six to ten feet, or they grow shorter but with the overly fat trunk. So, you may just get a nice houseplant. You could try planting it out in the summer, then digging up, cutting back and potting up for the cold seasons. Give it as much light as you can.

Jatrophas are shrubs--mostly deciduous. J. podigria (or something like that) gets a really good fat bottle in a short time as a houseplant. It likes good light and a dry winter rest. It has nice flowers for many months. If you pollinate the flowers and have success, the pods make a few huge seeds. Other jatrophas are quite variable and a few don't make a fat stem at all--like integerrima, my favorite, which will make red flowers all year long. It makes tuberous roots which can be exposed for a succulent effect.

Jon

I know just about nothing about Brachychiton, but I grow a couple Jatrophas. As Jon said, winter is rest time - bright, cool, dry. Last winter my J. podagrica just slowed down, but this year it lost its leaves. I think I let it get a little too dry early on, but the trunk is still healthy-- it'll be back soon.
Those seeds Jon mentioned really shoot around when they ripen. I've found little Jatrophas growing in pots quite a distance from the parent plant, or seeds on the floor more than 10' across the room!
The other one I have is multifida, which doesn't have a bottle-trunk and is probably one of the shrubby ones, though mine's a single trunk. I like the leaf shape.
I had to look up J. integerrima-- that's really got great flowers! I bet it would look cute as a bonsai!

MBT- I wouldn't have ever expected to see the GS term used here either. Frankly, I don't think I've heard the term used in MANY years. LOL, We'll leave this one right here...

GH

Dear Toni,

Agreeing with Jon (don't I almost always do so, because he's almost-99.99%-correct), Brachychitons are the only plants that I know of that have the common name of 'Bottle Tree', and that can lead me into a rant about common names, but I shan't stumble down that road of ruin and bore you to tears in the process.

Both of the other plants that you mention (Jatrophas and Bombax - maybe Bombax ellipticum) have members that are considered succulent and can be raised up for caudiciform exposure.

Sure, they'll grow faster and more lushly if in the soil (and not in their pot), but if you've concerns about removing them for winter, I'd put them in the soil in their pot (assuming the pot is terra cotta, which breathes and also absorbs water). Just make sure that, if you don't depot them for in-the-ground planting, that they've lots of room to grow in the pots.

Jon, if you look at the trunks from the pic I posted, you can see they're sligthly larger than the top..The Jatropha multifeda, and the Bombax ellipticum were purchased that can't be named here on Gw for some reason. But if you want the name email me..Oh, my Jatropha is no shrub..if you look at the pic you'll see what I mean. Each have thick trunks, larger at the bottom..Perhaps I should have used the name Caudiciform like Jeff mentioned..Yes, that's the word I was looinng for..LOL..Sorry..and it's going to be a longggg time before this plant reaches 10' let alone 45. LOL..I'll be long gone..
I can't recall where I bought the other 3 caudex, whatever they're called..Now I'm more mixed up than ever..LOL..
Which family is desert Rose in? I know I know u want the botanical name, but I can't think of it..Oh Adenium..

BTW, I also have something called, Mondenium..Is this a bottle tree? LOL..Toni

Toni,

Monadenium - a genus in the Euphorbia Family (the same family as the Jatropha)

Adenium - a genus in the Apocynaceae, the same family as Oleander, Plumeria and Pachypodium. Some people have placed these plants in the Asclepiadaceae, based on flowers and seed horn chararteristics.

Toni, I don't have pictures of mine. There is not a lot to see! Two of the trunks are fatter, but there is not a lot of leaves, and it would be hard to show anything. I would probably have to take it out onto the drive way, and get a ladder to show much. The leaves look suspiciously like Cannabis, so another reason not to post pix!

The plant I have is Brachychiton rupe... I think there are a few letters cut off. I'll have to go investigate. There is someone here in the club who starts them, then brings them in for the Raffle table. It was the last thing left on the table when my ticket was called. I didn't realize just what I was getting myself in for, but ground planted here, they are a BEAUTIFUL tree! I am looking forward to starting landscaping my lawn to get it in the ground.

So, we still don't know much more than we did but we're learning...

Here is a link that might be useful: B. rupestris

Toni, by "shrubs" I meant that in nature they grow into shrubs, as opposed to trees. Bombax is a tree--I had one for many years. It usually is seen with a stubby top, having been cut back to make it a caudiciform (there's the term you wanted). For pot culture I would give the bombax and the brachychiton a fairly big pot and grow them in their growing season (plenty of water, light, feeding, heat, etc). You could grow them outside in summer or inside in a bright window. The jatrophas like a smaller pot. To get these to stay low, and not grow into a tall single trunk you will need to pinch and/or cut back the single stem. You could let them grow tall and have them as indoor tree/caudiciforms. But, I suspect you don't have that kind of space.

Toni, I've never said this, but your plant experiences remind me of my mother, during the ten years she lived in Evanston. Those were the years she totally got into indoor plants, and had the house full of them. I spent the holidays with her, so had lots of Chicagoland experiences in the 70's. One book that we both had and loved (she gave me my copy for xmas one year) is Exotica. I recommend you ask DS for one (Dear Santa =DS, in this case). Exotica is a big fat book full of black and white photos of tropicals and houseplants. It is catagorized by plant families, so you will learn what plant is in what family. There is also a color photo version called Tropica, which came out later (its only about 25 years old now). These old books are still great to look through and dream.....

Jon

Toni, sorry I didn't check out this thread sooner. I'll post the pictures for you.

Foxy.

Here is a link that might be useful: bottle1

Here is another one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bottle 2

And another one.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bottle 3

Here is #4.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bottle 4

And a group shot. I think this is the last picture. LMK if there is more:)

Foxy.

Here is a link that might be useful: bottle palms

Foxy/Toni,

#1 is Bombax ellipticum
#2 looks like a Jatropha, maybe the species that Jon wrote about.
#3 is Brachychiton rupestris (I think)
I don't know what #4 is.

The leaves on #3 look different than the leaves on my B. rupestris. I will try to remember to take pix tomorrow. (I had my surgery yesterday...)

I think that one's J. multifida.

Foxy, thanks..I've got to figure out what I'm doing wrong when posting pics..when I click on it, it opens.

Since there are more than one type of say, Jatropha, I'm thinking that's what the others are are..same family..
As you can see they had tags in the pot, but from rain, etc, the names washed off. LOL
As I stated, these plants were bought from 2002-2004..I 'might' have their names in my diary. It's be a big job trying to find out plants names though, especially now that Christmas is coming and I haven't even mailed Christmas cards yet..LOL

Cena, I love the way those bottle trees? are growing. I don't know if I want to allow to grow taller then pinch or do so now. (not now, in spring.)
One thing, the room they're growing in is kept cool..when I had them in the LR which is a lot warmer, (south window) they didn't los any leaves. In the front plant room, (west window) they lose a few leaves but not all..If I was to grow in back plant room which is cold, they'd lose all thier leaves.
Because the plants are telling me, "Okay, I'm ready to sleep" I withhold fertilizer and only water when soil is really really dry.I'm not sure how long they can go w/o watering..They've been growing in this west window about 3 winters now. They still might lose more leaves, but come spring/summer they'll send out new foliage.
Thanks for everyone's help once again. Toni

Dear Toni,

For your tags, never EVER use pen/marker - a #2 pencil is the most fantastic tool ever used for tag marking.

Here are two pics of my B. rupestris. As Cena noted, I too got mine from a Society member - Carol Jean Wolcott. She's apparently raised a whole mess of them, then transplanted them to two-in-a-pot and, while young, wired them so that they grow intertwined.

{{gwi:116243}}

And a closeup of the intertwining:

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Here is mine, from Carol Jean.
{{gwi:116245}}
I think there are actually three stems in my pot, plus the Spanish Moss that came with. It is about 3 1/2 ft tall, and the bottom half is pretty naked. You can barely see the swelling trunks.
{{gwi:116246}}

Cena and Jeff your trees are beautiful and so tall for young plants. What age do you notice the trunk thickening? aka, bottle tree?
Cena when I first saw your pic I thought there was snow around that plants.LOL..Can you imagine??

Okay, to get to the point..in spring should I repot in large container? out in garden? or let them be?
I was hoping roots would fill pots then I'd repot in a larger 'clay' pot. but it's taking soo long..

Another question is feeding? How often should I fertilize an what type of food is best? Would a 20=20=20 be sufficient? or is that too strong?
Right now all 5 are dormant, so feeding is out..Once the days get longer and I noctice growth I will feed again. As I mentioned before, I don't want to force-feed them. Instead I want them to grow naturally, even if that means slow growing.I might add superthrive..what about Espon salts? LOL.

Since we're discussing plants w/weird trunks, how about the Elephant's foot, (Dioscoreea macrostachys?) If I was to buy a small plant will the base? grow larger? This one place I buy from has 3 sizes..I can't afford the largest..If I was to buy the smallest of 3, or smaller of two, would the bottom one day expand like the largest one?
I know many ppl thinks these are 'ugly' plants, lol, but I think they're interesting. What's an ugly plant anyway? LOL..

Jeff as for pencils, etc, about 15 yrs ago I ordered plastic labels and a green pencil from Park's Seed. I have about 75 tags and 2 pencils..they wash off writing w/a scrub pad. The pencil is dark green and has done the job for yrs..
Three of those bottle trees were written at the nursery(those u see w/labels and no writing) then washed off during summer rains. Because I keep a diary/journal, I've got each name written down, somewhere. It's just a matter of locating the time of yr I got them.
BTW, does anyone know the name of other bottle trees..if you do and can name them, I might remember the 3 remaining trees..Thanks, Toni

Toni, I really know NOTHING about how to grow these. When you get a plant, you sort of feel your way along... unless you have a GW freind who INSISTS you tell them all your secrets. Really Toni, you know as much as I, at this point. I would LOVE to pontificate, spout and 'tell you how it is' but frankly, I would be ashamed if I did!

Don't water them often, and grow in full sun... Now we both know as much as the other!

Mine was started in 4/03. Its a youngun.

It don't snow in San Diego!

(Off topic a bit) Label writing--my two cents
For years I have used labels that somehow were too slick for a #2 pencil to write on with dark lettering. So, I switched to #1 pencils, which I have been using for years. Contrary to others' experiences, they rarely smudge and the writing is dark, lasting on the labels until the labels get brittle and snap. In my last purchase, from the same company (Macore) I found the labels now accept #2's very nicely, so am using either pencils.

To erase labels quickly and easily: You can scrub them in the sink with an abrasive pad. Or you can wet the label with water or saliva and use a regular eraser. Wetting the label makes erasing much faster and easier. (try it, you'll see for yourself). Be wary of reusing labels. It is better to replace with new labels so that you don't have your old labels breaking all the time.

Sharpie pens fade very quickly if in sun. Sometime they wash off with insecticidal soap. But, pilot brand indelible markers will not fade and thus be problematic--for the most part. I think they can have their problems too. Pilot fine point markers are hard to find--sometimes only available at artist supply stores.

But even with Pilot markers, I still prefer the plain old pencil.

However, if you exclusively use markers, such as Pilot or Sharpie, and reuse your labels, you can gather up a pile of old labels and soak them in a jar of bleach and water. In a few weeks all the labels will be clean again. I do this with double tags after plant sales. When soaking a jar full of labels, put the container out of light, as that degrades the bleach.

RAther than always scrounging for labels, I prefer to just buy a large amount and always have plenty on hand. Many companies sell labels in boxes of 1000, which isn't such a huge number as you might think (where do they all go??). My current preference is the 4" stick label--about 1.3 cents each, MOL. I am not enthusiastic for home made labels made from mini-blinds, bleach jugs, reused nursery labels, masking tape on the pots, etc.

Jon (see, I can jabber on, on any subject)

I grow one and aquired another but its unknown.

If you look in my fall 2005 albulm.......the ponytail type 2 is the newly aquired one.I up potted my other one this fall.

Here is a link that might be useful: fall 2005

Jon, about 18 yrs ago, back when I ordered from Parks SEed, (I was a big customer then) I bought several packets of plastic (thick) markers and 2 green pencils for the tags. I still have them to this day..Like your tags, they need to be cleaned w/an abrasive pad, and soap. Water of course..lol..

Njoy, wow, your Pony tails are huge..the size of the bulb. It's humongous!! I like the way the leaves curl. When I worked for HD, we got in a big pony tail w/really curly leaevs..I can kick myself for not buying it..It was the prettiest one I've seen, other than one at a local nursery that is variegaetd w/yellow specks, and started in the 30's..The owner told me he was offered 10,000 for that plant, and it's NOT for sale..they seem to have a problem rooting babies. I'd like to try..lol..I love plants w/thick trunks, they're look to be very old..so much history behind them..Toni

Below you'll find a link to a site I found on Google. I'm not endorsing the site as I've never done business with them..they were just one of the sites that came up and had a pic and no pop ups.

I worked in a place that used copper tags like that for plants and it was a LIFE SAVER. No broken tags, no faded ink forgotten plant names and all of the customer's plants were kept in order and never lost. As my plant collection grows once again I find myself really wanting these tags. You can probably buy the coper sheets and make them yourself too.

MBT

Here is a link that might be useful: Copper Plant Tags

Hi, all -

I am pretty new here, and I really want a "bottle tree" of any sort. I found a jatropha cutting for sale on ebay, but I am uncertain about mail ordering plants. I just despair of ever finding a nice one at any of the big box stores here in NE Ohio. Anyway, here is a site I turned up in my bottle plant research. It looks like this person had amazing results after pruning.
http://public.fotki.com/plumo/bombax/

Sarah

Go to www.shoalcreeksucculents.com They sell a variety of bottle trees..There's another place but it can't be named here on GW..so if you want the name of the nursery email me at www.hopefulauthor@sbcglobal.net Or just click on my name and click on email me. Toni

I am looking to find 25 seeds of: 'brachychiton rupestris'
Please contact me via email: rverkest@bigpond.net.au

Here is a link that might be useful: Gano Café The secret of Asia.

I am still looking to find 25 seeds of: 'brachychiton rupestris'
Please contact me via email: rverkest@bigpond.net.au

Here is a link that might be useful: Drink Gano and lose weight

Hmmm...pushing 'Gano', are we?

I've seen these seeds available on ebay frequently, and since they're seeds, the shipping is usually inexpensive.