Kunzea badjaensis

[Sno]

I have been playing with this tree for a few years and it’s just starting to become interesting . This one was started as a cutting and was put in the ground where it didn’t do much because we were in drought . I dug it up and then the rains came . I don’t know if it would have bolted or died as where it was growing became quite swampy . Anyway it was put into a nursery flat and chopped to the lowest growth point .
As it was growing I wired some movement into it while it was flexible out to the tip . Last autumn I was going to cut it back but instead I wired down the tip into the nursery flat to ground layer it . I removed it in early spring and hopefully it will make a great mame tree one day . I did the same this year and a few weeks ago instead of wiring it back into the same pot I have wired in place a tube to grow the layer into .
This species layers really easily and it will ground layer in the bush by itself
Photos .

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[Rory]

wow, that ground layer is going to be awesome. Lovely tree and lovely pot!

The parent base is awesome too. Can't wait to see these over time Sno.

[shibui]

I also get loads of baeckea/sannantha/whatever they are called now seedlings in my pots down here. They come from the older trees I have in pots nearby and I'm pretty confident they are spread on wind as the seeds and pots appear to have nothing of interest to birds or animals.

Very nice kunzeas. Masses of fluffy white flowers and prostrate growth habit make it even more attractive for both bonsai and garden.

[Sno]

Thanks Rory . It’s a nice pot ( I think Japanese origin ) but I think I can squeeze this tree into something a bit smaller . I was thinking this years layer may go into it once I train the roots a bit . The stock tree is going to be quite a gnarly shohin in a few years .

[Sno]

I also get loads of baeckea/sannantha/whatever they are called now seedlings in my pots down here. They come from the older trees I have in pots nearby and I'm pretty confident they are spread on wind as the seeds and pots appear to have nothing of interest to birds or animals.

I wasn’t quite sure about wind because the nearest bushes are nearly 100 m’s away through bush and a lot of the seedlings are growing in clumps . The seed is quite fine so I wouldn’t have thought birds would spread them . We get strong winds so it probably is wind .
I think that ‘what ever they are called now ‘ is the most appropriate name for them that I have heard so far .

[boom64]

Hi Craig, great result nice movement and great gnarly base on the original. Have to be happy with that. They sure like to colonize i get hundreds popping up. Have grown a few from seed but its a long long gig. Cheers John.

[BonsaiBobbie]

Nice. Looking result. I live that ground layer.

Do you know if it handles shade?

[Sno]

Hi Craig, great result nice movement and great gnarly base on the original. Have to be happy with that. They sure like to colonize i get hundreds popping up. Have grown a few from seed but its a long long gig. Cheers John.

Thanks John . After growing this one I am thinking of mass growing it .
I saw one growing at the Jindabyne national park building which had a trunk nearly as thick as my arm ( I think they ripped it out when they renewed the gardens ) . So they will thicken over time if trained . All the rest I have seen are thin and multi branched .
Cheers Craig

[Sno]

Nice. Looking result. I live that ground layer.

Do you know if it handles shade?

They grow under my gum trees (large manna gums ) so they tolerate shade . I see them a lot in local gardens in full sun . They tend to grow clumpy ,thin trunked and can get quite leggy .

[BonsaiBobbie]

Nice. Looking result. I live that ground layer.

Do you know if it handles shade?

They grow under my gum trees (large manna gums ) so they tolerate shade . I see them a lot in local gardens in full sun . They tend to grow clumpy ,thin trunked and can get quite leggy .

Ta. Good to know.

Looking at my south facing balcony, the best plants so far are k. baxteri and ficus. So keen to try a few other things and try and source some more mature stock.

[Hanro]

First flower on mine this year @ 10mm wide

[GavinG]

Nice flower - where's the rest of it? (ducking for cover!)

Gavin

[Hanro]

Hello Gavin,

If tree was worth a photo I would have posted it with the flower.

[Rory]

Nice flower - where's the rest of it? (ducking for cover!)

Gavin

[GavinG]

I always want to know what you have on the boil, Peter... Did you do anything particular to get the flowers - ferts, timing of pruning and so on, or did the damn thing just do whatever it felt like...

Gavin