Favourite Melaleuca for bonsai?

[matlea]

I've been eyeing off some prickly mels a few streets away that have seeds... Think I need to go for a walk and get some "exercise"....

[Pearcy001]

Just thought I'd give this a quick bump in case anyone can share further experience on the thread.

Cheers all,
Pearcy.

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[dansai]

I got about 10 different varieties as tube stock from the Cumberland State Forest Nursery in Sydney. Unfortunately I haven't had them long enough to tell how they will go as bonsai. All have small leaves though. One was even flowering. All were cut back and given a pretty hard root prune (I tend to do this to all nursery stock as often the roots are f#$%^d, especially if they have been potted on). None skipped a beat. I'll let you know how they progress.

Another that I picked up lately which I'm keen to see how it goes is M. thymifolia. It is a smaller growing species so may be slow to develop a good trunk, but has lovely purple flowers on older wood so may just give a good display even as Bonsai.

[quodlibet_ens]

Another that I picked up lately which I'm keen to see how it goes is M. thymifolia. It is a smaller growing species so may be slow to develop a good trunk, but has lovely purple flowers on older wood so may just give a good display even as Bonsai.

I have a few M. Thymifolia in my garden. They are a really nice plant, but you're right in saying that they will take some time to develop a good trunk. Perhaps they're better suited for Mame rather than Shohin size?


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[Rory]

I got about 10 different varieties as tube stock from the Cumberland State Forest Nursery in Sydney.

haha, ditto. They have fantastic stock there. But stick your finger deep into the soil before you buy it. If its like concrete sometimes its best to avoid it.

..

I'm experimenting with:

M. leucadendra (weeping, hardy and low tolerance to myrtle rust, soft paper-bark, but very long foliage)
M. squarossa (extremely hardy and shoots back on old wood all the way to the base, very strong tolerance to myrtle rust, rough paper-bark, small foliage)
M. bracteata (very hardy, strong tolerance to myrtle rust)
M. linarifolia dwarf variety (hardy, medium tolerance to myrtle rust, very small foliage)

So far, squarossa is my favourite.

[treeman]

Hi Pearcy, styphelioides is one of the best - fastest. It grows 3 times faster than linariifolia which is also nice. I have put in raphiophylla which grows like stink as well. cuticularis shows promise but much slower than the raph. Halmaturorum will be a natural bonsai too. laceolata I don't have but it will be good I think. IMO bracteata and armilaris have little to offer. The inland ones (dry country) are much more touchy. I put in some glomerata and lost all of them over winter. No more of those for me! Some of the smaller colourful WA species would be interesting but they don't like our humidity. All said, stick with the paper barks.

[Pearcy001]

Loving all the rundowns everyone.

Mike what didn't you like about the armillaris? I currently have one and it seems to be pretty good. I have gotten backbudding on older wood when cut back to the last green, although I understand others haven't - maybe the age can be a determining factor?

I am yet to attempt cutting all the green off and I will not try, as I believe armillaris will die if I attempt it (need more than one for trials like that haha).

I'm yet to do any real root work on it as yet so can't comment of that aspect. Foliage is small and ramification is easy. The bark is flaking up (although not to the extremes of other species).

Growth appears to be fast with armillaris although you need to grow quite long for thickness before cutting back. It is apically dominant so the apex will need to be more heavily maintained once the tree is in the later stages of development.

Does anyone have experience with Ericifolia?

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[Gerard]

Melaleuca ericafolia progression

1 2015-08-30 14.31.39.jpg

2 2015-09-06 16.12.10.jpg

3 6b38c.jpg

2017bsv7.jpg

[Pearcy001]

Great job Gerard, that is certainly coming up a treat!

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[Gerard]

Great job Gerard, that is certainly coming up a treat!

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Thanks Pearcy, I watered this morning and noticed it needs some attention, this time of year it gets a massive growth spurt

[treeman]

Mike what didn't you like about the armillaris?

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Oh I just find them kind of drab...uninspiring, but that's probably just me.
As Gerard shows ericifolia can be very evocative.

Remember this thread?...

Literati!........ viewtopic.php?f=106&t=23595&hilit=+melaleuca

[Pearcy001]

Remember this thread?...

Literati!........ viewtopic.php?f=106&t=23595&hilit=+melaleuca

That thread makes me want to create a windswept forest setting

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[Rory]

IMO bracteata and armilaris have little to offer.

Yeah, funny you say that. bracteata is not something I'd grow more of. It just doesn't have as much gusto as the other species I'm trying. If something happens to mine, I wont grow more.

Yeah, I have always wanted to try M. halmaturorum

ERA nurseries quotes:

Melaleuca halmaturorum (salt paperbark) has a broad natural range across the continent from Victoria to Western Australia. It is not surprising that is has a range of common names depending on where you are. It could be called 'swamp paperbark' in WA, 'Kangaroo Island paper bark' in SA and 'salt paperbark' in Victoria. This species can be a large shrub or small tree and is without question one of the toughest plants around. For instance, on Kangaroo Island and along the Coorong, it is not uncommon to see it growing with it's roots in seawater or even saltier.

Salt paperbark is a frontline coastal plant and will withstand exposed coastal conditions on shallow saline soils overlying limestone. It also occurs around salt lakes inland in the Desert National Parks in arid Victoria and in the WA Wheatbelt.

[GavinG]

Bit slow I know...

Some of my favourite Mels:

P1000948.jpg

M. styphelioides, about 4-5 years old, ground-grown for one year - not recommended, as two of them just sent two roots way down to China, and ended up worthless. Colander-growing may be a better option. Into a bonsai pot first time about a month ago - new shoots only just appearing. Deep red new shoots, thick pale bark, shoots back quite well. Yes, prickly (shibui, you are Such a Woos!) but I quite like a tree that's a bit stroppy.

P1000949.jpg

This doesn't look much in 2D, but it has a very delicate wander up through space in 3D - I'm thinking to make it a very slender literati, about 35cms tall, very little foliage. Growing it on to make a stronger trunk will only lose the fine detail in its contours.

P1000950.jpg

I know this as M. linearis, but I think it used to be a Callistemon (deep sigh). It makes some nice angles, and has very colourful new buds.

P1000951.jpg

This is M. brachyandra (C. brachyandrus). It's making its own octopus style.

P1000952.jpg

I'm glad I didn't see it in the botanical gardens here until later - it's a nasty little scraggly bush that you wouldn't think to use as bonsai... Nice new shoots as well.

P1000953.jpg

This is M. hypericifolia - hardy, good fine detail, should colander-grow well (but I didn't). Once again, it looks better in the bark. Not far off a pot. Under 30cms.

P1000955.jpg

M. elliptica should be very good, but I suspect it will need ground/colander growing to get anything like a trunk.

I have a little M. armilaris that's coming along - I'll try and get a photo. M. incana has grey-green foliage and small pale cream flowers that work well as bonsai. M. fulgens has startling scarlet flowers with golden stamens (?) - spectacular.

In general, the small-leafed varieties have been hardy, and make interesting trunks with grow-and-clip over time.

Gavin

[Pearcy001]

Stumbled upon this old thread I started on Melaleuca species a couple of years back. Thought I'd check in and see if anyone has identified any further great types of Melaleuca for bonsai? Any updates on the species you were growing? Also feel free to add any photos of yours if you wish. 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.

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