Leptospermum laevigatum ‘Fore Shore’

[Rory]

Progression thread: Leptospermum laevigatum ‘Fore Shore’

This was purchased from The Wildflower Place at Erina for $16 in 2020

I haven't had a great run with this species. It grows well and seems to prefer fast drainage and a lot of sun.
It is quite hardy and tolerates a heavy root reduction.

However the possums adore it and constantly target it, which meant I had to keep it inside my 'possum cage'.
It can get quite affected by Myrtle Rust and you have to be on the guard against it. The best way to do this is to allow it to outgrow the rate at which Myrtle Rust gets hold, and to keep it in an open area with a lot of sun and don't over-water it.

It is remarkably adaptive though. During one possum attack, it broke nearly all the branches and you can see a broken branch which is snapped and coming towards you in the 10Jan2022 photo. The branch however is still alive and has been putting out new growth even though its hanging on by a thread. The brake has gotten a little thicker after a few months now. Amazing resilience and you can see how it gets such a gnarly look in the wild. After massive trauma it can still keep broken limbs and whole sections alive, provided it still has a small attachment to the break.

L. foreshore 1-01 26Apr2020.jpg

26 Apr 2020

L. foreshore 1-02 10Jan2022.jpg

10 Jan 2022