Help me make an "interesting natives" list

[Joel]

Hi guys,

Collaboration is the key to successful forum learning. Many of us have problems here, and others may have answers. It is only through discussion that we can transfer our successful techniques/tools/programs etc and use all the best ideas to improve out trees. I'm hoping this thread will prompt the questions to be asked about certain native species, and hopefully answered by those with experience in that area. Perhaps somebody has access to an unusual tree and is willing to experiment on it for the benefit of all of us. I would like to f

Are there any NATIVES you think are odd? underused? not heard about? or have undiscovered potential? Are there any rare natives you would like to know more about?

Additionally, if anybody has ANY information about any of these as bonsai, or any other interesting facts about them, i and others would love to hear.

I will go first

JayC

[Joel]

A week ago I purchased a tree called "Eucalyptus 'Vintage Red'. It is a very unusual eucalypt because the LEAVES are totally red/burgundy in colour! This tree was rather expensive for its size, but that is only because it is only just being released. I believe that the tree i purchased was one of 100 that were released to the public for sales. They are only released, at this stage, through very few selected nurseries.I purchased mine from Eden Gardens, a large nursery near Sydney (link at bottom of message).

Obviously this tree has not been attempted as a bonsai by anybody yet, as it was only released about a month ago. My tree has no home yet, and i haven't decided whether or not its going to be a bonsai, but it probably will go in the ground. I may take cuttings/air layering/grafts in the future, and use them as bonsai. I have read that they take VERY well to heavy pruning, forming a thick canopy. . . . seems like something important to us bonsai folk!

I just thought this tree was worth mentioning due to its amazing foliage.

Here are some links about the tree:
Eden Gardens report on the trees: http://www.edengardens.com.au/pages/new ... ticle=6929
A good article about the tree: http://advanced-trees.bestplants.com.au ... e-red.html

JayC

[Bretts]

It seems that these are grafted Jay. How does the graft on yourse look? I wonder what the reason for grafting is. It would be intresting to see if you could get cuttings of this tree to grow and see how they go on thier own roots. It is a nice looking tree.

[Matthew]

im experimenting with grey mytle, iron bark common names and backhousia myrifolia scientific name. It is native to nsw and qld produces relatively small leaves with are fragent and flowers between november and january. They love water and will thrive in anything between full sun and dappled shade. I collected some south going on 12 months now and they respond well to wiring. just let the braches grow out to thinken and cut back. They produce numerious suckers around the base (simular to privet) ive built all from scratch and most are going into a bonsai pot this spring.
id be interested in anyone else growing them .

[Kunzea]

Hi JayC
An interesting string you have started weaving here. Well done. I look forward to the additions.

The Vintage Red looks quite interesting. Since it takes so well to pruning, it should be adaptable to pot culture, depending on how it takes to root pruning. You should get the characteristic red leaves throughout the life of each leaf. The young leaves of quite a number of eucs are various shades of red, but as they mature they become the usual grey-greens, perhaps with red-orange on the petioles and young branchlets where they are exposed to the sun (?UV). Keeping red leaves into mature leaves is something new to my experience. I look forward to what you will do with it.

I think it was 'noah' who made comments about grey myrtle (Backhousia myrtifolia). I have seen a number of these as bonsai. They were from medium to largish size (20 - 100mm+ diameter at base of trunk). Overall, they have responded very well to bonsai culture.

I've found them vigorous, once they get going in the mid to late spring (in ACT). Tip pruning is necessary to keep them in shape. I've not worked out what effect pruning has on flowering as I've only had a few flowers on my tree. A friend down on the coast has massive flowering each years and says he does nothing special. They will shoot from old wood anywhere, though I'm not sure if it is predictable enough to get branches just where you want them, but it probably won't be too far off. You can cut them down to any height and get good new shoots on the trunk. Feeding them regularly with any full strength fertiliser just makes them all the happier and healthier, but of course don't over do it either. They will tolerate frost to at least -5 C, including fully frozen soil in the pots without showing any harm at all. As they continue to grow well into autumn, if you prune late and get a flush of late new growth, this may well die in the frost, but mature leaves aren't harmed at all. I too have found them water-hungry. Mine is amongst the first to wilt if I don't water enough in warm weather, but they also recover well if the wilting isn't severe.

I've only seen the trees in one location in the 'wild', which was along stream sides south of Bega. The plants struck me as quite un-inspiring, but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One could style them to look like black pines of course: sinuous trunk, left/right/back - left/right/back branching and tight leaf pads. They will look good, though a little dull. As they are growing right beside the streams, they get innundated by floods from time to time. So it isn't the weight of snow that is shaping the tree, but the pressure of periodic flooding water - quite a different thing. These events tend to shape the trunks, which can be leaning, lying down, or looking like lazy 'J's . From that, some imaginative stylist might get inspiration for a suitable set of styles.

Let's have a look at what you've got some time.

Kunzea

[Pup]

As my signature suggests my favorite Australian species is Melaleucas. I do have more than enough large collected and some medium specimens.

As I get older and more infirm I have started to down size. I have just started a Shohin Melaleuca ringens.
It is responding well it is another of my bugger, wheres the bloody camera episodes. It is under wire at the moment so in about a week, I might see how it is responding and take it off then I will take a pic.
It appears that it will suit Shohin and Mame as the foliage is naturally small and tight. Its normal habitat is limestone out crops and was not popular. In cultivation. It was also suggested that it be put in the conservation status 2K.
I think since then it has been cultivated with more success, well by George Lullfitz any way. I am very pleased with the way it has responded to bonsai culture, at this time.
So let us hope for another suitable Melaleuca. If any one has one under cultivation I would like to hear from them.

The reason for no pic now is the wire is bright copper colour and as big a the parts I am bending ( plus it is not crash hot ) so there . It is approx 10 cm in height. Pup