Firewheel Tree
Stenocarpus sinuatus
The firewheel tree is an Australian rainforest tree named for its striking red-and-orange flowers arranged in spoke-like wheels. It has glossy lobed foliage and makes a handsome ornamental and street tree.
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate; keep evenly moist when young
- Difficulty
- Moderate
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Overview
Firewheel tree, Stenocarpus sinuatus, is an evergreen rainforest tree in the protea family (Proteaceae), famous for its remarkable flowers: clusters of tubular red and orange blooms radiating from a central point like the spokes of a flaming wheel.
Native to eastern Australian rainforests, it has glossy, deeply lobed dark green leaves and a neat upright habit, making it a fine ornamental even when not in flower.
Flowering tends to occur on older trees in late summer and autumn, often partly hidden among the foliage, rewarding a closer look.
How to identify it
- Flowers: clusters of bright scarlet-and-orange tubular flowers arranged in a flat, wheel-like whorl (the "firewheel"), in late summer to autumn
- Leaves: glossy, leathery, dark green, variable, often deeply and irregularly lobed (sinuate) on juvenile growth
- Fruit: narrow boat-shaped woody follicles holding winged seeds
- Habit: evergreen, upright, slow-growing; reaches 30 ft or more in cultivation, much taller in the wild
- Bark: grey-brown and relatively smooth
Care & growing
Light: full sun to part shade; young trees appreciate some shade, as it is a rainforest understory-to-canopy species.
Water: keep evenly moist, especially when young; established trees tolerate moderate dryness.
Soil: rich, well-drained soil; like many proteas it prefers low-phosphorus conditions, so avoid high-phosphate fertilizers.
Temperature: subtropical to warm temperate (USDA zones 9-11); somewhat frost-tender when young.
Feeding: use low-phosphorus or native-plant fertilizer sparingly.
Propagation: from fresh seed; slow to reach flowering size.
Habitat & origin
Stenocarpus sinuatus is native to the subtropical and tropical rainforests of eastern Australia, from New South Wales to Queensland, where it grows as a tall understory to canopy tree.
It is cultivated as an ornamental and street tree in Australia and in warm climates elsewhere, valued for its glossy foliage and unusual flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't my firewheel tree flower?
It is slow to mature and usually only flowers once well established, often after many years. Good light and avoiding high-phosphorus fertilizer help.
Why are the flowers hard to see?
The wheel-shaped flower clusters often form among or beneath the canopy foliage rather than on the outside, so they can be partly hidden.
Does it need special fertilizer?
Being in the protea family, it is sensitive to excess phosphorus. Use a low-phosphorus or native-plant fertilizer sparingly.
Is it frost-hardy?
It is best in frost-free to light-frost climates (zones 9-11). Young trees are tender and should be protected from cold.
Firewheel Tree guides
In-depth guides for identifying, growing, and caring for Firewheel Tree.
