The roadside bottlebrush trees are in bloom—adding a splash of pink to Banqiao in New Taipei

Reported by You t
ru / Taipei




▲ Bottlebrush trees along a road in New Taipei City have bloomed. (Photo provided by New Taipei City Agriculture Bureau)

"I never expected to see autumn flowers blooming right in the city," said Ms. Huang, who commutes through Banqiao. In fact, if you pay close attention, even in an urban setting, you can enjoy the sight of seasonal blooms. As autumn arrives, green leaves gradually turn yellow, and amid this mix of green and gold, the vividly colored bottlebrush trees burst into peach-hued blossoms—like vibrant spring colors standing out against the golden autumn.

The bottlebrush trees around Shuangshi Road in Banqiao and Siyuan Road in Xinzhuang, New Taipei City, also known as beauty cherry, bottlebrush cotton tree, silk cotton tree, or drunken tree, typically bloom from September to November. They belong to the same family as the kapok tree, and are commonly used as roadside landscape trees. The beautiful bottlebrush trees have spiky trunks and bloom with pinkish flowers reminiscent of spring during autumn. The kapok tree, also called the hero tree, on the other hand, blooms with orange-red flowers akin to autumn hues in the spring season.


▲ Up close, the pink bottlebrush flowers add a soft and delicate charm. (Photo provided by New Taipei City Agriculture Bureau)

The contrasting seasonal blooms of the bottlebrush and kapok trees showcase different hues on New Taipei City’s streets throughout the year. Thanks to their umbrella-shaped canopies, they not only offer floral beauty but also provide shade, making them excellent choices for scenic roadside plantings. Over a hundred of these trees have been planted in districts such as Xinzhuang, Banqiao, Shulin, Luzhou, Yingge, and Tamsui in New Taipei City. When their pink blossoms are in full bloom, they add a soft touch to the urban streetscape, like pink pearls set on a green necklace, appearing all the more enchanting under the blue sky and white clouds.