Southeast Asian shrub with snowflake-like leaves, a constant feature of adult plants

Trevesia burckii is a fascinating shrub or small tree from Southeast Asia. The species was scientifically described by Jacob Boerlage in 1887 based on a specimen from Halaban in Sumatra, and is native to Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, southern Thailand, and Borneo. The plant grows up to 5 meters tall and branches sparingly.

What is truly special are the leaves. Young seedlings initially have simple, triangular-ovate leaves. In older plants, the leaves become palmate and acquire their characteristic appearance: the blade of each lobe is constricted all the way to the midrib so that the lobe looks like a small leaf of its own, but at the base of the leaf, the blade spreads out again, forming a continuous "webbing" between the lobes, just like a duck's foot. The leaves are largely circular in outline, grow up to 60 centimeters across, and have 7 to 9 lobes.

Botanical description

Trevesia is a small genus of seven species of sparingly branched forest trees from Southeast Asia, distributed from Nepal and India to Java and Borneo.

Trevesia burckii has historically been confused with the closely related T. palmata and was long known by the name 'Trevesia cheirantha'. The difference, however, is clear: in T. burckii, the duck-foot-like webbed leaf is a constant characteristic in adult plants, whereas it only occurs occasionally in T. palmata. Furthermore, the distribution areas of the two species do not overlap at all.

Care

Thrives in bright, indirect light to partial shade; avoid direct sun, which can scorch the large leaves. Keep the soil evenly moist but well-drained and never let it dry out completely. Requires high humidity (60 percent or more) for the leaves to develop beautifully.

Use airy, well-drained soil with a good proportion of organic matter, such as our peat-free soil. Ideal temperature 20-28 degrees Celsius. Does not tolerate frost or cold drafts. Fertilize monthly during the growing season. Buy Trevesia burckii online!