Favourite Melaleuca for bonsai?

Incana, Lanceolata, Linariifolia, Rhaphiophylla, Styphelioides etc
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Starfox
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Re: Favourite Melaleuca for bonsai?

Post by Starfox »

For what it is worth in February I picked up a little Melaleuca leucadendra, I uppotted it into better soil when I got it and now Spring has come it is pushing new growth so that is a positive.
Beyond that I have no idea but certainly think it's an interesting species.
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Rory
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Re: Favourite Melaleuca for bonsai?

Post by Rory »

Pearcy001 wrote: March 28th, 2021, 9:58 pm Currently I'm growing:

M. styphelioides
M. armillaris
M. rhaphiophylla
M. cuticularis
M. bracteata 'Revolution Green'
M. micromera
M. huegelii
M. halmaturorum
M. tamariscina

I think that's all of them? I haven't been growing most of these long enough to give proper feedback. Feel free to let me know how your trials are going.

Cheers,
Pearcy.
M. tamariscina has taken the crown of being the hardiest Mel I have ever trialled. So far they are a standout. They will grow in anything and seem to only need a fraction of sunlight to stay healthy too. Amazing species.

M. halmaturorum is also very hardy and I do like them a lot, but haven't been growing long enough to make anything worthwhile yet.

M. micromera all eventually died for me. I adored them, but I think they require very good drainage and a lot of sun. I don't understand really what happened. They all just eventually lost their vigour and slowly died. In total I think I tried my hand at over 10 of them from multiple sources.

All the others on your list I have tried except rhaphiophylla. The others didn't impress me long term (or in the course of constantly trialling other Mels, I eventually chose other species that were smaller-leaved and hardier), so I didn't pursue them.
Rory
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Bonsai: Casuarina Leptospermum Banksia Phebalium Baeckea Melalueca Ficus

Growing Australian natives as Bonsai: viewtopic.php?p=289480#p289480

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Pearcy001
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Re: Favourite Melaleuca for bonsai?

Post by Pearcy001 »

Rory wrote:M. micromera all eventually died for me. I adored them, but I think they require very good drainage and a lot of sun. I don't understand really what happened. They all just eventually lost their vigour and slowly died. In total I think I tried my hand at over 10 of them from multiple sources.
Thanks for the input Rory and interesting you say that about M. micromera. I'm short on space so only got two - One of them fairly quickly had alot of dieback in the upper foliage, I wondered what had caused it and initially thought it was just my rough handling. What you have explained may have been what had actually happened to it. It's still alive, just half its size.

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