AusBonsai

A good friend of mine has decided to flatten out his block to make way for a couple units. Found this tree in his backyard but not sure which species it is. It appears to bear small fruits which plenty have dried up and dropped around the base, a couple still hanging in first photo. It has nice twisted trunk and nebarie and I think potential for a bonsai specimen. Any clue?

Maybe a crabapple? I can already see a virt for it in my head, but wouldn’t fancy digging it up.

I would have said Hibiscus..

Thanks guys but I don't think it's a crabapple or hibiscus as the dried fruits do not resemble any of these species. Anyway, have some spare hours tomorrow so will up-root it in the morning. stay tuned.

I think the fruit may be a red herring in this case. They look to be from a white cedar which will be a much larger tree probably hanging over the top. I can also see leaf stalks that look like white cedar as well.
The shrub in the photo is almost certainly a hibiscus, probably Hibiscus syriacus which is a cool climate plant and grows even in frosty areas. Should be hardy enough to cope with transplant, even when it has leaves on. Buds well on older wood so should also tolerate hard reduction.

Yeah the berries through me off but I thought the leaves were like malus. Bark doesn’t look right though.

native hibiscus, purple flower

I, once again, arrive late with nothing further to offer beyond seconding Shibui’s motion. Definitely hibiscus. Also think he’s on the money with the sleuth work on the white cedar - red herring.
Looks like a nice base to work with.
Agree back budding won’t be a problem. I haven’t used for bonsai, but I’ve some in the garden that bud like mad after a heavy prune.

I have had Hibiscus syriacus in my garden fir many years. There is little I can add to shibui's description, except for
a) it's a strong grower;
b) it flowers at the end of the branches/twigs, so you really have to prune it well if you want it to flower;
c) the flowers last only 1 day, and are in principle too big for bonsai, unless you have a really large size one;
d) it strikes easily.

I tried to grow it as a bonsai, but it was no success. BTW, how come the present owner doesn't remember the flowers?

Lisa

been away for a couple of weeks and hadn't a chance to update on the dig..

Congratulations, I hope it survives for you.