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| Category: Tree |
| Family: Sapindaceae (Soapberries) |
| Origin: Taiwan (Asia) |
| Flower Color: Orange Red |
| Bloomtime: Summer/Fall |
| Synonyms: [Koelrutaria henryi] |
| Height: 25-40 feet |
| Width: 20-30 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F |
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Koelreuteria elegans ssp. formosana (Chinese Flame Tree) - This is a semi-deciduous tree that typically grows to 40 feet tall. The 2 foot long leaves are bipinnately divided into many 2-inch-long toothed leaflets. In late summer (September here in Santa Barbara), the clusters of small red centered yellow flowers smoother the entire tree and are followed by the formation of inflated one inch long papery fruit capsules, that resemble Japanese lanterns that are green initially but quickly deepen to reddish pink and later to pale salmon pink. It is so showy in fruit that it also has the common name Bougainvillea Flame Tree since the capsules resemble the large bracts of a Bougainvillea. Plant in full sun and give deep, infrequent watering. It is hardy down to about 15 degrees F. Koelreuteria elegans, which had also been known as K. henryi and K formosana comes from Taiwan and Fiji and most recently the plants from Taiwan are now considered to be K. elegans ssp. formosana while the Fijian one is K. elegans ssp. elegans. The name for the genus honors the German Botanist Joseph Gottlieb Koelreuter who was a the Imperial Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg when the Finnish naturalist Erik Laxmann described the genus. The specific epithet is from the Latin word meaning "neat" or "elegant". There are beautiful examples of this tree in Santa Barbara, often mixed with plantings of Koelreuteria bipinnata from which it differs by having smaller, less coarsely toothed leaves that are glossy and have a prominent elongated tip, has darker red colored fruit and is leafless longer. In the nursery trade these two species are often confused. The tallest tree in Santa Barbara is adjacent to McKinley Elementary School and measures 53 feet tall. We grew this tree from 1995 until 2005 and still have a specimen tree planted in front of our accounting office. We discontinued production of this beautiful tree because it reseeds a bit into surrounding plantings and because of industry confusion between it and the coarser Koelreuteria bipinnata.
The information about Koelreuteria elegans ssp. formosana displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
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