The recent hot and dry spell in February must have made the Australian-native tree, Brachychiton acerifolius, feel like it was back home in Eastern Australia - some of them are in bloom along Jurong West Street 91.  The tree originates from a sub-tropical region of Australia, stretching from Cairns south to Wollongong.  With its scarlet inflorescence, it is little wonder that it is also known as the Illawarra (il-la-war-rah) Flame tree, a name derived from its geographical location and visual appearance.

When in full bloom, it is easily one of the most beautiful and striking trees in the Australian landscape, one that is defined by hot wet summers and cool dry winters.  B. acerifolius defoliates in the dry season and produces flowers in anticipation of the coming wet season.  New leaves are out in time for the summer.  In Singapore, where it rains year-round, it is rare to get a dry spell that is long enough to initiate a flowering cycle of B. acerifolius.

These trees were introduced and planted as saplings in 2000, as part of NParks Streetscape’s broad strategy of greening up Singapore, improving biodiversity, and adding dashes of brilliant colour to an otherwise concrete jungle in the heartlands. Research department has also been studying the precise mechanisms and conditions that induce B. acerifolius trees to flower. With further knowledge, we may be able to see an entire avenue of B. acerifolius splashed in red along more streets in Singapore!