Description
Koelreuteria –
There are three species of deciduous trees and shrubs in this genus. Found in dry valley woodlands in Eastern Asia. They produce alternate, pinnate or 2 pinnate leaves and large pyramidal panicles, 4-14” long of shallowly bowl shaped flowers, followed by unusually inflated fruit capsules. They are fine specimen trees, flowering best in areas with hot summers.
Grow in moderately fertile, well drained and aerated soil in full sun.
Prone to dieback, canker, mushroom root rot, and wilt.
K. bipinnata – Pride of China – Chinese Flame Tree – This spreading to broadly conical tree from Central and Southwestern China grows 30-50’ feet tall and 25’ feet wide but usually less in cultivation. It produces large, 2 pinnate, mid green leaves, to 20” long, consisting of numerous oval-oblong, finely toothed leaflets, which turn deep golden in autumn. From summer to autumn it bears red-spotted, bright yellow flowers, ½” across carried in large panicles, to 12” long, followed by bladder-like fruit capsules, to 2” long, turning red-brown when ripe and splitting open into 3 egg shaped segments.
Zones 6-9
