Features

• The bottle tree offers several distinctive features to recommend it to Texas gardeners. When young, the tree's trunk grows in a bottle or pear shape; mature trees look less distinct. Bottle trees bear white flowers in the summer, and the trees develop long pods for added visual interest.
  
  

Geography

• Because the bottle tree is a tropical native, it's cold sensitive and can become damaged when temperatures fall below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. This sensitivity prevents north Texas gardeners from enjoying the tree. Gardeners in east and south Texas can grow bottle trees, since temperature lows in those regions range from 30 degrees Fahrenheit to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Gardeners in other regions of the state can attempt growing bottle trees, but the chilly winter temperatures may kill or injure these tropical natives.
  
  

Uses

• The bottle tree is not just a pretty plant specimen for Texas backyards. Australia's aborigines eat the seeds from the long pods, either raw or roasted. Roasted seeds can also be ground and brewed into a coffee-like drink.
  
  

Environment

• Bottle trees grow in either full or part sun. Gardeners toward the end of the tree's Texas range might shelter the trees by growing them on the south side of the home, which tends to offer slightly warmer weather. The trees benefit from water every couple of weeks in the summer. Bottle trees don't tolerate rocky soil and do best in well-draining soils. Aside from dropped pod cleanup, these trees are low maintenance.