Myrtle Beech - Otway Ranges

[Rhiannon]

If you've ever done the Maits Rest walk in the Otway Ranges, you probably would have come across this relatively famous Myrtle Beech. Unfortunately, when I went it was at sunset so our holidays snaps of it turned out badly, but these are from Google:

MB large.jpg

myrtle beech otway 01.jpg

The walk is full of amazing 300-year old myrtle beech trees, but this one in particular I found inspirational. The boardwalk goes over to this tree specifically. It's impossible to tell if it's actually one deformed tree, or if it's two trees with one growing around another that fell on it - my money's on the latter.

It made me wonder if anyone has deliberately tried to do this sort of thing in a bonsai? Not just with branches, but with whole trees - made them intersect and grow together?

[Kunzea]

Hi Rhianon
I've seen this tree and parts of this forest. Inspirational. I've wondered the same as you about using these forms to model bonsai on.

What intrigued me was the fact that so many of these trees started their lives as seedlings that germinated ontop of fallen previous forest giants. I seen and heard of this as part of the ecology of species in the temperate rain forests on the west coast of N America, but not down here in Aus. The myrtles sent their roots into the thick moss carpet on those trunks and then down the sides and into the ground. Over many decades, perhaps centuries, the original tree rotted away, leaving the myrtle standing up on its roots in a real-life version of a feature often found in some penjing.

I've wonderered if I started with a piece of softwood, cover it with say sphagnum, plant a very young myrtle on it, let it do its thing (while keeping it moist) and wait for the softwood to rot away. i'm sure some would devise ways to hasten the process, but the idea of lettting the roots find their own way and then have their upper support slowly disappear is appealing in itself.

I won't be able to do this here in the ACT as it is just too hot and dry too much of the time. And the long range forecast is for more to come! Do take on the project and let us see your results.
Chees
Kunzea

[anttal63]

Just got back myself from a holiday in the Otways. So much to be inspired by down there. My most Favourite place!

[Alan Peck]

I thought this unusual so I took a snap.

Brothers in arms.jpg

Another of how a tree devours things.

Classic scaring.jpg

[Rhiannon]

^ Awesome photos! Trees like that first one make me wonder how possible it would be to thread graft two different species together. I'd imagine most wouldn't be compatible, though. They'd have to be very closely related. Could be a costly experimentation.

What intrigued me was the fact that so many of these trees started their lives as seedlings that germinated ontop of fallen previous forest giants. I seen and heard of this as part of the ecology of species in the temperate rain forests on the west coast of N America, but not down here in Aus. The myrtles sent their roots into the thick moss carpet on those trunks and then down the sides and into the ground. Over many decades, perhaps centuries, the original tree rotted away, leaving the myrtle standing up on its roots in a real-life version of a feature often found in some penjing.

I've studied these "nurse trees" as they're called a bit in class and I was under the impression that it's rather common in our rainforests? Some species seem to rely on it moreso, and other species seem to be more opportunists. We didn't study it in depth, though, so my knowledge is limited.

I'd wondered about doing this in bonsai but in keeping both trees alive. I go for a lot of nature walks and I often see, particularly with Eucs, trees that have grown around either fallen or living branches/trees. I wasn't sure how to do this with a bonsai, though.

I'd be nervous doing a myrtle as I understand that they're very prone to infection. There's forever signs around places like this walk warning that even stepping on them and damaging the bark could be a death sentence to the myrtle. I don't know if that's because they're incredibly precarious, or just because the area has a high incidence of disease.