WA Christmas Tree anyone have one?

[Bush bunny]

Hi, I bought some seeds for a WA Christmas Tree. I thought it looked an nice tree, but I don't know how it is going to live in Armidale, although my garden doesn't get much frost being on a ridge 1000 m above sea level. We have an amazing amount of deciduous trees and pines here, and even hold an annual Autumn festival. Usually in April as some of the trees are 'just' turning yellow or red. Liquid amber galore. I have one in my garden actually. And a bonsai one too.
We don't have any Jacaranda's though, mores the pity.

But my question is would this tree take to Armidale or will it need some protection in winter.

Cheers again

Pat

And I've just paid a plumber ???S to clear the sewerage lines. My huge weeping cherry was to blame, next to the liquid amber. But this is the only second time this has been done in 15 years, so the trees stay.

[Bush bunny]

Mod you can delete the second one, twitchy fingers. Sorry.

Pat

[Jason]

The WA Christmas tree is something I'm planning on working in the future, as I love them... but know they are extremely difficult in pot culture.

Mainly due to the fact that they are a parasitic plant and requires other host plants to suppliment their nutrients and water intake. Be careful planting them around your house, as they've been known to wreak havoc with underground wires and pipes.

I have hundreds of them around me where I live, always love the flower show in summer. I'm fascinated by them, and have set myself a challenge to create a bonsai from one (one day). You might be able to get the seeds to sprout, however after a year or two they become quite difficult to keep alive outside of their natural habitat (so I have read).

[Bush bunny]

Yes they said that on the packet. But I thought put it with or beside another bonsai, after they mature enough in the ground of course. Are they deciduous?

[Jason]

Its the roots that are parasitic, so it would need to be in the same pot as a suitable host plant, the roots in the wild will travel up to 150meters and attach themselves to multiple host plants, so as they grow you might find you need to add further host plants. My local native nursery has been doing a lot of work with them the last few years, and is only just scratching the surface.

Here is a snippet from one of their newsletters: Grown from fresh seed or cuttings, this semi-parasitic plant has a strange growth habit. Over a period of 8 years or so, several suckers grow up then die down, repeating this until one day, a trunk grows, and at last it starts to look like a tree! From cuttings, you may get flowers after 8 to 10 years, from seed it can take up to 10, maybe 15 years.

I'll be starting mine from tubestock, as the nursery will usually supply them with a host plant that it is already attached to, so hopefully a good chance of survival.

And not deciduous

A couple of informative links:
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/Nuytsia+floribunda
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/online-reso ... pnid=48254

[Hackimoto]

That company had no right to sell seeds of that tree to the public, as it is very difficult to grow even in the ground in WA. The trees roots are parasitic on the roots of other trees or grasses and is virtually impossible to grow in cultivation. I call it irresponsible sales practices.

[Bush bunny]

Hmm well they were not expensive to buy. But I think I know how to give them a chance. All plants I don't know so much about trees, have a rhizosphere around their hair roots or feeder roots. This is where the microorganisms collect to aid the tree to obtain minerals as they eat the bacteria, and there feaces contains the nitrogen and other nutrients, and the hair roots can pull these nutrients up. It's a symbionic relationship. (Sorry spelling) Maybe the tree or seedling does this too? What I am going to try, is plant the seed in a peat pot, filled with the recommended seed growing stuff, open the bottom, and plant the peat pot in seed or organic mix. But alongside a fast growing seed like a sun flower. When it is big enough, I'll plant it 8 cm from a perennial tree either in the flower bed or beside another bonsai.

I'll see how it goes, eh. The seeds were bought from a reputable Victorian supplier, with instructions and a seed growing mix to place on top of the seed. Only $4.00 a packet, so I will not be screaming at the cost if it doesn't work. The seed growing stuff was $12. for a very small 50 grams. I'll place the trays in my aquarium to make sure they keep warm.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Pat