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Big Boabs

Posted: April 28th, 2015, 6:37 pm
by Josh
Not sure if many/any people grow these as bonsai but here are a couple of pics of some amazing Boabs in northern WA. These were taken a few years ago while we were doing our trip around Oz.
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These trees are amazing, standing the test of time.

Enjoy
Josh

Re: Big Boabs

Posted: April 28th, 2015, 7:25 pm
by squizzy
Hahaha. Great title. Almost had me.

Are these bracychiton rupestris or another variety?

Squizz

Re: Big Boabs

Posted: April 29th, 2015, 2:51 am
by Timothy
In the north of south africa they are popular as bonsai. Here they need a dry winter. I have a 2 yr old seedling. Being in a meditaraenian climate i put mine away, from leaf drop till leave emergence. Not 1 drop of water for the whole of winter. I keep it in a shed where it gets sun , but no moisture or frost . Some people remove them from the pot and hang them on the rafters in their garage !

Re: Big Boabs

Posted: April 30th, 2015, 9:42 am
by Elmar
Hahaha yes, a local Horticulturalist from SAfrica tells stories of how they grow them to 5 or 6 foot tall then cut the roots level at the base and push them over for 12 months - no water no anything. Ready for sale, once planted they go off!
Apparently the best way to ensure they survive...


Cheers
Elmar

Re: Big Boabs

Posted: April 30th, 2015, 9:56 am
by Lynette
I have been trying to find one for ages, but can't seem to find anywhere that stock them even native nursery on the Sunshine coast did not have any. Does anybody know where I can get one, or two or three.
thanks ,
Lynette

Re: Big Boabs

Posted: April 30th, 2015, 4:50 pm
by Jarad
So when everyone says "start off with figs, they are the hardest to kill" they are actually lying? :lost:

Re: Big Boabs

Posted: April 30th, 2015, 5:29 pm
by Elmar
Lynette wrote:I have been trying to find one for ages, but can't seem to find anywhere that stock them even native nursery on the Sunshine coast did not have any. Does anybody know where I can get one, or two or three.
thanks ,
Lynette
More of an arid tree, so nurseries in SA central, NT would be my best bet.


Cheers
EZ
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Re: Big Boabs

Posted: April 30th, 2015, 5:30 pm
by Elmar
Jarad wrote:So when everyone says "start off with figs, they are the hardest to kill" they are actually lying? :lost:
Lol, those mongrels! Haha.

I think that boabs would take more time than you or I have to become anything worth working on. Not even sure how they'd back bud if at all... I believe it's more a time thing than anything else...


Cheers
EZ
Via Tapatalk

Re: Big Boabs

Posted: April 30th, 2015, 5:51 pm
by MoGanic
Holey moley... Totally misread the title...

-Mo


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Re: Big Boabs

Posted: April 30th, 2015, 8:36 pm
by peterb
Hi All
Quite a few bonsai artists in south africa grow them they make really good bonsai to, alas they are not as tough as they sound quite easy to kill just water them wrong and they're off to the great tokonoma in the sky. when i get a chance i'll try to dig out the photo , there is a huge baobab ( that's what we call them in africa ) that has a pub in it , can apparently seat 17 people reasonably comfortably but i reckon probably about 10
regards
peterb

Re: Big Boabs

Posted: April 30th, 2015, 10:32 pm
by Graeme
The SA baobab is different to our Australian one as well. The SA one has a lovely soft lacy foliage, compared to ours which is quite course and large. Both trees grow in Broome, although the SA ones have, obviously, been introduced. They grow quite easily from seed, so if you can obtain any you're well on your way to having a Boab in your collection. I have seen plants for sale in a Broome Nursery, so that might be worth chasing up. As has been said, they hate water, something easy to understand when you see them growing in their native conditions. Having said that there is a huge one growing on the side of a Derby street that must have at least some of it's roots under the ocean floor. :? Some time ago a bright enterprising person was going to make his fortune in Broome, selling Boab root. Tasted really yummy and I have no idea what happened to his industry, but an interesting aside was after cutting the tap root off 1 year old stock (for sale) he found, if planted, the tree continued to grow, so should be a great candidate for our hobby. I had a few growing when I lived in Darwin, but as they were not much more than pencil thick trunks after a few years I lost interest in them. Quite old trees (in our Bonsai terms) are still very thin trunked trees after years of growth out in the bush as well. The foliage is very pleasing all the same.

Re: Big Boabs

Posted: May 1st, 2015, 4:31 am
by sweetcookie2013
I think you will find these are Australian Native Bottle Trees "Brachychiton rupensis". Boabs aren't native to Australia. Great Pics.

Re: Big Boabs

Posted: May 1st, 2015, 6:57 am
by GoldfieldsBS
Talk to the Native Bonsai Society folks. Myles for a start is a wealth of information on Bracs and Boabs. Has a great presentation pack he did for us at GBS

Paul GBS

Re: Big Boabs

Posted: May 1st, 2015, 10:17 am
by coaster
The Australian boab is Adansonia gregorii and is very similar to the african A. digitata.

I have been cultivating these trees like the South african bonsai artists. The dont tend to want to branch out much though once they are cut off low. The possibilities for air layering are massive though as mini trees tend to branch off the big ones everywhere.

I'm about 6 years in for most of them though and will post some pics soon.

Re: Big Boabs

Posted: May 1st, 2015, 10:26 am
by squizzy
So from what I have read here. The boab adansonia is more closely related to desert rose than brachychiton rupestris ( Queensland bottle tree).

We planted some monster bottle trees with a company I worked with in the Disneyland in Hong Kong. They were shipped from Australia and I think the biggest come in around the 18 Tonne mark. Great trees as well but not this big I think?

squizz