[Arid_gardener] Australian Bottle Tree

Thu Aug 19 16:20:37 MST 2004

Kelley,

The Bottle Tree (Brachychiton populneus) and the Bottle Brush Tree
(Callistemon Species) which has the red flowers are both from Australia but
are different trees. The tree that you describe is the Bottle Tree. It has
white flowers.

You will find that some Bottle Trees do not have the pronounced bottle
shaped trunk but most do. I have a Bottle Tree with out the bottle shaped
trunk.

Good luck.

Rod McKusick
Master Gardener
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kelly Conroy" <kconroy at indigopartners.net>
To: <arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 1:41 PM
Subject: [Arid_gardener] Australian Bottle Tree

> There is a tree that I keep seeing in city landscaping (medians, etc.)
> that I want to identify and buy for my yard.  It is very full and has a
> weeping quality to it.  However, unlike a weeping willow, it has pale
> green leaves that are a wider teardrop shape.  If you pull off a piece,
> you'll get a long soft, flexible branch with many little "veiny"
> branches that hold the leaves.  The trees almost look like they are a
> multitude of strings holding bunches of bells (the leaves) and their
> thick strands sway gracefully in the breeze.
>
> I went to Moon Valley Nursery (because it's nearby) and brought a strand
> along with me.  The tree they showed me had the same features as the
> tree I have been trying to identify.  They called it an "Australian
> Bottle Tree".  Now, this tree does not have a bottle like bubble/bell
> shaped trunk like other Australian bottles I have seen on the internet.
> Nor is it a "bottlebrush" tree like those that produce the bottlebrush
> like red blooms.  However, everytime I say it is an "Australian Bottle",
> someone thinks I'm talking about a bottlebrush with the red blooms.
> Have I been misinformed on the type of tree that it is?  Do Australian
> Bottle Trees only have red bottlebrush-type blooms or bell-shaped
> trunks?  Or are there variations that do no have the red blooms?
>
> Please advise.  I really want one of these trees and I want to research
> the care instructions but can't if I'm calling it by the wrong name.
>
> Thank you,
>
> ~ Kelly
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: arid_gardener-request at CALS.arizona.edu
> [mailto:arid_gardener-request at CALS.arizona.edu]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 12:00 PM
> To: arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu
> Subject: Arid_gardener Digest, Vol 7, Issue 20
>
>
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> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. RE: Ponytail Palm - rot (Mike Hills)
>    2. Question from Home-Hort WWW page (tedrea3 at cox.net)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 15:33:20 -0700
> From: "Mike Hills" <mhills at seedsolutions.com>
> Subject: RE: [Arid_gardener] Ponytail Palm - rot
> To: <arid_gardener at cals.arizona.edu>, <thesundogs at cox.net>
> Message-ID: <007a01c484aa$33f27150$0500a8c0 at RSIOAQ3YCFIW63>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Darcy - after discussing this some more with Rod, and looking at Kelly's
> answer to you, here is some more food for thought and consideration in
> trying to cure your Ponytail.
>
> QUESTION # 1 - where are you growing this plant?   We question answerers
> on
> this Arid Gardener site are in the Low Desert climate of Central Arizona
> and in our area this plant is only grown as a houseplant or on protected
> patios - does not tolerate well, our intense sun and low humidity,
> without
> sun burning.   Nor does it like our heavy clay soils and our winter
> freezes.
>
> The plant called "Ponytail Palm" is not a true palm.   It is a
> swollen-trunked succulent plant.  We doubt it would get that same Palm
> Bud Rot disease since it is not a true palm (whether that disease occurs
> here or not is another point that we'll let the experts at the
> University of Arizona decide).
>
> Along the succulent plant lines, I was thinking it is much more likely
> that too much water might be causing the rot symptons and maybe you
> needed to dry the soil out some more, trim out the rotten areas down to
> clear looking
> flesh and do the bleach treatment on the cut areas.   Use a solution of
> about 50:50  household bleach to water.   Once you have cut the black
> and
> brown rotten parts out with a sharp knife and you have clean flesh
> showing,
> swab the bleach solution on the cuts.    Let it dry - do not cover the
> wound - leave open to the air.
>
> I didn't respond earlier since I have only TRIED to grow these in the
> past with no personal success - usually killed mine with a bad balance
> between between giving enough of the drainage they need versus the fact
> that they
> prefer higher humidity in their air.   I waited to see other expert
> opinions.
>
> If it is a fungal rot, then the trimming and bordeaux would maybe work
> anyway, but the bleach is easier to use and easier to purchase?   Also,
> it
> may be a bacterial rot rather than fungus and the bordeaux only works on
> fungal problems.
>
> I usually think of them as houseplants that don't do well outside in the
> landscape unless you live in San Diego or another lower light, cloudy
> and
> more humid climate.   Too intense of sunlight causes sunburn.   You see
> huge
> ones growing in peoples' yards all through coastal Southern California.
> They also do not tolerate our central Arizona cold winters very well
> either - freezing without protection.
>
> This one website says they are native to Mexico and closely related to
> agaves, another plant that can rot very easily from too much water and
> poor
> drainage?   You need to check the soil in your hole and make sure that
> the
> soil drains well - if that is a spot that collects and pools water from
> the yard and does not drain away for hours, you need to dig the plant up
> and add
> a lot of gravel to increase drainage for future.   Usually just water
> collecting on the surface won't lead to a rotten wound - waterlogged
> roots can do this.
>
> http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Agavaceae/Beaucarnea.html
>
> http://www.evergrowing.com/tips/ponytailpalm.htm
>
> Hope this is helpful,
> Mike Hills
> Master Gardener Volunteer, Maricopa County
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: arid_gardener-bounces at CALS.arizona.edu
> > [mailto:arid_gardener-bounces at CALS.arizona.edu]On Behalf Of Rod
> > Sent: Monday, August 16, 2004 2:15 PM
> > To: thesundogs at cox.net
> > Cc: arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu
> > Subject: [Arid_gardener] Palm tree with Bud Rot
> >
> >
> > Darcy,
> > It sounds like your palm tree has a fungus called Bud Rot. The
> > suggestion that you use Bordeau to treat the tree was right on. I
> would
> > suggest that you clean out as much of the rotted material as possible
> > and apply a Bordeau and water solution to the area. If you have a
> > sprayer
> spray
> > the bud and crown areas to kill any fungus that may be there.
> >
> > The disease is a soil fungus which can be airborn to your tree aand
> > washed into a bud or an open area by rain.
> >
> > On line you will find a bulletin titled Arizona Landscape Palms at
> > http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1021.pdf
> >
> > Good luck.
> >
> > Rod McKusick
> > Master Gardener
> >
> > --- Original Message -----
> > From: <thesundogs at cox.net>
> > To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
> > Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2004 3:37 PM
> > Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page
> >
> >
> > > Darcy
> > > 85042
> > > thesundogs at cox.net
> > >
> > > Hello:
> > >
> > > We have a large multihead (5) pontail palm - approx 6 feel tall that
>
> > > is
> an
> > outside plant.  It appears that when one of the heads broke off -
> > water traveled down the "arm" amd a "rotten spot" about the size of
> > one's fist developed in the "foot".  We have tried to remove all soggy
>
> > material and
> are
> > curious what we should do. It has been suggested that we should put
> > sulfur in the area or use bourdeaux so as to avoid any fungus.
> > Meanwhile part of the area is beneath other arms.  The plant is a
> > centerpiece in out yard
> and
> > do not want to lsoe it.  Please help.
> > >
> > > Thank you.
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > Arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu
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> > >
> >
> >
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> >
> >
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 09:42:46 -0700 (MST)
> From: tedrea3 at cox.net
> Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page
> To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
> Message-ID: <200408171642.i7HGgkDF009032 at Ag.arizona.edu>
>
>
> 85374
> tedrea3 at cox.net
>
> How often to water citrus trees during the summer months.  we deep water
> every 3 weeks is that enough?
>
>
>
>
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