Taxodium mucronatum group at NBPCA
Posted: July 13th, 2021, 2:32 pm
Taxodium mucronatum group.
I have written an article on the genesis of the Taxodium mucronatum group that is now proudly displayed at the entrance to the NBPCA in Canberra. It has been a work in progress for many years and has had input from various people over the years.
The major tree in the group was grown from seed collected by Tom Coogan in 1974 from a tree in the Sydney Royal botanical Gardens. It is the Montezuma cypress with the very long, low branch that is now fenced off from the public, but not the cockatoos. They happily sit up high in the tree and chomp on branches, dropping them and hence seed to the ground.
This seed was given to Max Candy to germinate and germinate them he did. Some years later this tree was sold to Edna Ellison and apon her death there was an auction of her trees with the proceeds going to her disabled son.
I bought the tree in 1988 or thereabouts and then in 1993 decided to collect some more seed from the same tree in the Botanic gardens. My wife and I had to wade through the Cockatoos on the ground and they were not happy that I was taking their food. Anyhow the seed was dried, the cones broken apart and seed planted. Hundreds and hundreds germinated. Some stayed in pots all their life while others went into the ground to fatten up quickly.
I did a demo for Megumi Bennett’s club at some point and did a group of 7 Taxodium mucronatum in that group. I decided to expand that group and bought a huge Chinese pot from Kingston Wang at bonsai environment in preparation for the forthcoming super group of Taxodium m. At this Point I also decided that the big tree on its own was a bit boring so I incorporated it into the group as the main tree.
So, with the help of Chris Alnut in 2004, we assembled the group in its current format and included the main tree, the 7 trees from the previous group, and added a number more of both field grown and pot grown trees. The tree that were added were the “leftovers” after most of the trees had been sold commercially, and many were boring, up and down trees with few lower branches or only one sided branches. The group incorporated all those oddball trees that were nothing special on their own.
I had built a display plinth from Bessa block and also built a turntable heavy enough to take the weight of the pot, soil and trees and never intended to move it again.
However, when I got the gig first as Consultant to the ACT government on the forthcoming National collection and then as Curator of the collection, I happily decided to move to Canberra and to donate the group to the now NBPCA.
It has proved to be popular with the public and a hit with the volunteers as well. Just as well as it takes about 6 people to move or repot the tree.
It has thrived in the hands of the NBPCA and looks as good or better than it ever has and the trimming techniques have been refined with experience of its habits and quirks. It has been found better to let it grow unpinched for a while and then trimmed back hard to encourage lots of back budding. Constant pinching just slows it down but does not add to ramification or refinement.
Grant Bowie
July 20211
I have written an article on the genesis of the Taxodium mucronatum group that is now proudly displayed at the entrance to the NBPCA in Canberra. It has been a work in progress for many years and has had input from various people over the years.
The major tree in the group was grown from seed collected by Tom Coogan in 1974 from a tree in the Sydney Royal botanical Gardens. It is the Montezuma cypress with the very long, low branch that is now fenced off from the public, but not the cockatoos. They happily sit up high in the tree and chomp on branches, dropping them and hence seed to the ground.
This seed was given to Max Candy to germinate and germinate them he did. Some years later this tree was sold to Edna Ellison and apon her death there was an auction of her trees with the proceeds going to her disabled son.
I bought the tree in 1988 or thereabouts and then in 1993 decided to collect some more seed from the same tree in the Botanic gardens. My wife and I had to wade through the Cockatoos on the ground and they were not happy that I was taking their food. Anyhow the seed was dried, the cones broken apart and seed planted. Hundreds and hundreds germinated. Some stayed in pots all their life while others went into the ground to fatten up quickly.
I did a demo for Megumi Bennett’s club at some point and did a group of 7 Taxodium mucronatum in that group. I decided to expand that group and bought a huge Chinese pot from Kingston Wang at bonsai environment in preparation for the forthcoming super group of Taxodium m. At this Point I also decided that the big tree on its own was a bit boring so I incorporated it into the group as the main tree.
So, with the help of Chris Alnut in 2004, we assembled the group in its current format and included the main tree, the 7 trees from the previous group, and added a number more of both field grown and pot grown trees. The tree that were added were the “leftovers” after most of the trees had been sold commercially, and many were boring, up and down trees with few lower branches or only one sided branches. The group incorporated all those oddball trees that were nothing special on their own.
I had built a display plinth from Bessa block and also built a turntable heavy enough to take the weight of the pot, soil and trees and never intended to move it again.
However, when I got the gig first as Consultant to the ACT government on the forthcoming National collection and then as Curator of the collection, I happily decided to move to Canberra and to donate the group to the now NBPCA.
It has proved to be popular with the public and a hit with the volunteers as well. Just as well as it takes about 6 people to move or repot the tree.
It has thrived in the hands of the NBPCA and looks as good or better than it ever has and the trimming techniques have been refined with experience of its habits and quirks. It has been found better to let it grow unpinched for a while and then trimmed back hard to encourage lots of back budding. Constant pinching just slows it down but does not add to ramification or refinement.
Grant Bowie
July 20211