Brachychiton (kurrajong, bottle tree) is a genus of 31 species of trees and large shrubs. 30 of them are native to Australia  and one to New Guinea.  The genus is belong to  Malvaceae family. The name Brachychiton is derived from the Greek brachys: short, and chiton: tunic, in referring to its loose seed coats.

They are all excellent garden trees where frosts are not severe. Although they all appreciate good drainage, they require only a minimum of water and care. They grow to 4–30 m tall, and some are dry-season deciduous. Several species are pachycaul plants with a very stout stem for their overall size, used to store water during periods of drought. All species are monoecious with separate male and female flowers on the same plant. A few Kurrajong species are popular garden trees and have been introduced to hot dry regions including the Mediterranean, South Africa and United States.

Brachychiton populneus is a small to medium sized evergreen tree which may reach 20 metres in height although it is often much smaller. It is a native to Eastern Australia. Naturally distributed from north-eastern Victoria to Townsville and from the coast through to the semi-arid inland. The specific name populneus from the Latin ‘poplar-like’ because the leaves resemble those of populus.

The extended trunk of Kurrajong is a water storage device for survival in a warm dry climate. The trunk is stout and grey, while the leaves are shiny green and either entire or 3-9 lobed, up to 10 cm long. Young foliage is pale green tinged with pink. The small flowers are bell-shaped, whitish in colour with the inner flower tube streaked purple-brown. The flowers are followed by large, boat-shaped seed capsules which contain many large seeds, similar to corn kernels.

Brachychiton populneus has two subspecies that differ in adult leaf shape. trilobus displays leaves with 3, sometimes 5, narrow lobes. Other subspecies populneus have reduced side lobes and appear more like those of poplars. Propagation is from seed or cutting. Care must be taken to avoid the irritating hairs surrounding the seeds. While sapling growth is often very slow, great improvements are possible through soil cultivation, watering and care. Tree is cold hardy at least to -8˚C for a short time.

Use in Landscape: Kurrajong has a compact and densely foliaged habit which makes for an attractive specimen plant in a garden or park. It has been introduced as an ornamental tree or street trees to South Africa, USA and Mediterranean countries including Turkiye.

Leaves lopped from branches are nutritious and desirable to stock, however consumption of the fruit may cause illness.