Castanospermum australe Variegata

Description

Hailing from Australia, the Castanospermum australe ‘Variegata’ starts life off as a big green seed, like the ones you see in the soil here. Over time, it slowly pushes out a singular thin stem, which is crowned with feathery, green leaves. As the tree matures, the seed pod will slowly dry up and eventually totally detach from the stem. This signals that the baby tree it is now fully established and no longer requires the support of the seed. In the wild, this powerhouse of a tree can grow up to staggering 40m! You don’t need worry about it bursting through you home though. When cultivated indoors in a little pot, the tallest it might get is a very manageable 1.5m. This particular cultivar is highly sought after because of its lovely variegation.

WATERING

S/S allow 20% of the top soil to dry out. In A/W allow soil to dry out 50%.

LIGHT REQUIREMENTS

Bright, indirect. Can be susceptible to scorching if placed in direct light.

FEED

Use a houseplant fertiliser once a month from April – October.

REPOTTING

Repotting will encourage new growth so refrain in doing so if you want to keep it relatively small. Repot every 1.5-2 years. Use a well draining house plant compost with an added drainage medium like perlite.

POT SIZE / HEIGHT

See available sizes below. Please note that, due to their natural variability, specimens’ height may be within 10-20% of the stated height below.

Plant is supplied in its plastic nursery pot.