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Firewheel Tree

Its genus name Stenocarpus means narrow fruit, referring to its seed pods; and its species name sinuatus means wavy, referring to the edges of the leaves.

Evergreen tree, up to 35 m high, but much smaller when grown in gardens where it reaches a height of only about 10 m with a width of 5 m.

Leaves

Dark glossy green and paler underneath, they can be oval-shaped, lobed or have wavy edges. They are usually 15 – 25 cm long (but can be up to 45 cm long) and 2 – 5 cm wide, and are generally smaller on exposed branches. There is one distinct vein running down the centre of each leaf.

Flowers

Bright red with a yellow tip, and 2.5 – 4 cm long. They cluster in a wheel-like arrangement at the end of a stalk. The cluster can be up to 10 cm in diameter and consists of 6 - 20 flowers.

Fruits/Seeds

A grey-brown seed pod which is 5 – 10 cm long and has short hairs. The seeds inside are 2.5 – 3.5 cm long.

Field Guide

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  • Species Category: Plants
  • Species origin: Native
  • Conservation status: Common
  • Did You Know?
    • The shape of its leaves are quite variable, like many species from the Proteaceae family of plants
    • When grown from seed, it can take seven years or more to flower, but a cutting from a mature plant will usually flower within 3 - 4 years

  • What to Observe

    • First fully open single flower

    • Full flowering (record all days)

    • End of flowering (when 95% of the flowers have faded)

    • Open seed pods (record all days)

  • When and Where

    When To Look

    • From December through to June
    • Flowers appear in summer through to early winter (some odd flowers may appear at other times after high rainfall and humidity)
    • Seed pods appear after flowering

    Where To Look

    • From north-eastern NSW (north of the Nambucca River) to north Queensland
    • Adaptable to a range of climates if given adequate water and is planted outside these regions
    • In tropical or sub-tropical rainforests or open areas along the coast and inland mountain ranges, including urban areas
    • Look in parks, gardens and along streets

  • What Else?

    Similar Species

    Illawarra Flame Tree (Brachychiton acerifolius) has bell-shaped flowers that don’t form a wheel-like arrangement.

    Poinciana (Delonix regia) has feathery and fern-like leaves, larger flowers (8 – 15 cm in diameter) with five petals (each 4 – 7 cm long), and larger seed pods (20 – 70 cm long).
  • Trails: Albury Botanic Gardens NSW, Australian National Botanic Gardens ACT, Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mount Coot-tha QLD, Brisbane City Gardens QLD, Gold Coast Regional Botanic Gardens QLD, James Cook University Cairns QLD, James Cook University Townsville QLD, Kings Park & Botanic Garden WA, Macquarie University NSW, Rocky Creek Dam NSW, Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne VIC, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne VIC, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney NSW, Tinaroo EEC QLD, University of Sydney NSW, University of Western Australia WA
  • Species Region: Australia