Common name: Tree Fuchsia

Schotia brachypetala, commonly known as Tree Fuchsia because its flowers resemble those of Fuchsia, is a spectacular flowering tree originating in southern Africa. Its natural range extends from Zimbabwe and neighbouring Mozambique to South Africa.

It is a stout-trunked small tree, typically 5 to 10 m (16 to 32 ft) tall, occasionally up to 15 m (50 ft), with branches that start low on the trunk and spread out and upward, forming an umbrella-shaped crown. The crown is often wider than the tree is tall, and the ends of the branches tend to weep, with the ends of the lower branches sometimes touching the ground.

The leaves are feathery and consist of two to five pairs of glossy green oval leaflets. In the dry season, they fall off the tree to conserve water, leaving the branches bare. The new leaflets are striking reddish-bronze and emerge just before the start of the rainy season. 

Flowering follows leaf-fall, with large clusters of crimson red flowers arising at the ends of the leafless branches. The flowers produce abundant nectar and have a cup shape, which makes access to their nectar easy for birds and insects. Following the flowers are flat, stiff, woody seedpods that become dark brown when mature.

Use

Its small size and attractive form make it a suitable flowering tree for home gardens and a popular bonsai plant. The nectar-rich flowers attract all forms of nectar-feeding birds and insects, such as butterflies. The wood is heavy and hard but not very durable, though it is sometimes used in woodcraft and turnery.

Climate

Schotia brachypetala grows naturally in sub-humid subtropical and tropical climates with a summer rainfall pattern. Generally, areas with annual lows of 13 to 22°C, annual highs of 25 to 36°C, yearly rainfall concentrated in summer ranging from 600 to 1300 mm and a dry season of 4 to 7 months, extending to 12 months with irrigation or groundwater. 

Growing

New plants are typically grown from seed or cuttings. It performs best on free-draining sand and dandy-loam soils of a slightly acid-to-alkaline nature, generally with a pH of 6.5 to 8.0, and on sites with full sun exposure. It has a good tolerance to drought conditions. 

Problem features

It is recorded as naturalised in Australia, though not as a weed or invasive species. The Hawaii Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (HPWRA) project assesses it as a low weed-risk species for Hawaii.

The flowers produce large amounts of nectar, which can stain fabric, clothes, and other materials. 

The branches are brittle and break easily in strong winds. 

Books

• Allen, O. N. & Allen, E. K. 1981, The Leguminosae : a source book of characteristics, uses, and nodulation, University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin

• Barwick, M., et al. 2004, Tropical & subtropical trees : a worldwide encyclopaedic guide, Thames and Hudson, London

• Hall, N. 1972, The use of trees and shrubs in the dry country of Australia, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

• Jex-Blake, A. J. 1957, Gardening in East Africa : a practical handbook, 4th ed., Royal Kenya Horticultural Society, Longmans, Green and Company, London

• Mathias, M. E., 1982, Flowering plants in the landscape, University of California Press, Berkeley

• Menninger, E. A. 1962, Flowering trees of the world for tropics and warm climates, 1st ed., Heathside Press, New York

• National Research Council (Board on Science and Technology for International Development) 1979, Tropical legumes : resources for the future, The National Academies Press, Washington D. C.

• Oakman, H. 1995, Harry Oakman's what flowers when : the complete guide to flowering times in tropical and subtropical gardens, University of Queensland Press, St. Lucia, Queensland

• Randall, R. P. 2002, A global compendium of weeds, R.G. and F.J. Richardson Press, Melbourne

• Randall, R. P. 2007, The introduced flora of Australia and its weed status, Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management, Glen Osmond, South Australia