When to collect a Melaleuca?

[Thomo]

Hi All,

I have this little tree that self seeded in my garden and I have been growing it and giving it a prune, now and again. I am pretty sure it is a Melaleuca but not sure of the species.

My main question is what time of year should I consider lifting it from the ground? And what type of care of the roots do they need?

I know the pics are not great but anyone tell the species?

Any advice is appreciated, thanks.

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[kcpoole]

On our Wiki pages, you can collect any time of the year pretty much
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index. ... hould_I%3F

Nice work by the look of it

Ken

[Thomo]

Hi Ken,

Ahh yes, I should look at the wiki first. This is good news. I think I might wait until it gets a bit warmer and try then. I might give it one more shaping prune in the ground and then lift it once it recovers from that. Last year I dug down around it about 300mm out from the trunk to try to get the roots to stay compact. It barely battered an eyelid.

I have noticed that in the real heat of summer it seems to go dormant and then once the heat lets up a bit, it starts growing again. Possibly a coping mechanism in the dry heat. Particularly if they are used to being along water courses (which this one isn't).

I have been a bit lucky to have this sprout up and be able to trim it from a seedling to get a short fat trunk. It is about 60mm diameter at the base. It might take some work to bring the foliage back in under control.

Cheers.

[Luke308]

I must confess I know nothing about melaleucas' but to me it looks like a lemon scented tea tree. If you crush the leaves, do they smell like citrus?

[kcpoole]

Cool Tommo
Great plan nice to see development in the ground

@ Luke, Some Mels smell like citrus too, so It can be hard to pick until they flower. I made that mistake and was growing a leptospermum, only to find out it was a Mel
ahh well I never was good at plant ID anyway

Ken

[Thomo]

I got impatient (and just a little excited ) and decided it was now or never. So today I dug this one up.

I realised the reason it didn't batter an eyelid after last year when I dug around it was that the bigest roots were going straight down. So after removal it can be seen that there isn't a lot in the way of roots. I trimmed it a bit further to just below that large root that goes off to the right.

I cut half the foliage off before digging. Then trimmed it even further once in a pot. I didn't really do any branch selection, it was just to reduce the foliage due to the lack of roots. Then I put it in a cool shady place to recover.

I do have some questions that you learned folk may be able to help with.

1. Can anyone help with species identification? I posted some pics of the leaves and foliage. The bark is starting to get soft and papery, which I think is fantastic. I suspect it has sprouted from one of the many trees that were planted along Melbourne street scapes years ago, although we don't have one in very close proximity. A bit of digging at these two sites ( 1 and 2 ) would make me think it could be one of the following species -bracelet honey myrtle (Melaleuca armillaris Gaertn. Sm.), snow-insummer (M. linariifolia Sm.), and prickly-leaf paperbark (M. styphelioides Sm.). If I can find a species guide I might be able to increase my confidence level.

2. Should I consider standing this in water? It seems many mels like a bit of water.

3. It has some messy "nests" in the leaves that seem to be made of a silk or web and full of leaves and dirt. Any idea what it is? I doubt it is a spider, maybe a caterpiller? I forgot to take a pic of it.

4. Any tips on how to develop the roots? I have just choped them back a bit and put it in a pot but don't have any experience on whether it will develop new roots from the trunk.

5. Since this probably isn't a linariifolia, can a forum mod move this to the Australian Native Species forum? I didn't realise I could just post there without selecting a species.

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Thanks for the inut thus far. I hope to add more pics as it progresses.

Cheers.

[Hornet]

Great looking stock mate Good luck

[kcpoole]

Lovely Stock
this will be really nice once it recovers
Ps moved to Aus native forum

Ken

[bodhidharma]

It will be a nice little tree. Dont be shocked if it withdraws sap and the foliage dry's up. Apparently pretty standard for them. Ericafolia perhaps but there are so many.

[Waltron]

G'day Thomo,
Melaleuca linariifolia.
Quote Bodhi: "Dont be shocked if it withdraws sap and the foliage dry's up". That is correct, I've had this happen a few times and on each occasion it has eventually exploded with buds, just keep the water up to it.
Mature Melaleuca linariifolia pepper the nature strips of East Kew which is only 5 mins from you in Rosanna, I have relatives on Munro street and there you will find many great examples. From memory every single one of them grow in a broom style very similar to the way your tree is growing. Do yourself a favour and go check them out because I believe you could mimick one very easily in a very short amount of time with your tree using the front you have labelled "and into the pot for recovery". Just my

PS. If you don't want it I'll gladly have it.

[Dario]

Thomo it is not yet a month since you collected it, but how does it look to you at this early stage?
Hope it goes well for you!
Cheers, Dario.

[Thomo]

Hi all,

I appreciate the comments. I expect it will recover fine. I am not too worried about the foliage, it is more the lack of roots. Hopefully they will grow to match the growth above ground.

Waltron, I have had a look at the Mels nearby, there are plenty around and I will take your word that they are linariifolia. I was thinking a broom style of sorts. It is already half way there. Oh, and if I happent to get bored of it, I'll send it your way.

Dario, you are right, it isn't a month since collection. It looks very very very similar to those pics, I only dug it up yesterday. I'll keep you posted on progress.

Cheers.

[Roger]

Thomo
I don't think you have Melaleuca linariifolia. M.l. has opposite leaves (two leaves arising opposite each other on the stem).

It also is not M styphelioides - leaves the wrong shape and yours has conspicuous 'petioles' (leaf stems).

It could be M alternifolia (the one that tea tree oil is made from most often) is very closely related to M linarrifolia. Another similar one is M priessiana from WA, or M. decora or M. sieberi from the east coast. Flowers would certainly help
R

[Luke308]

Cool Tommo
Great plan nice to see development in the ground

@ Luke, Some Mels smell like citrus too, so It can be hard to pick until they flower. I made that mistake and was growing a leptospermum, only to find out it was a Mel
ahh well I never was good at plant ID anyway

Ken

Can you tell me do leptospermum flower? The reason I ask, one of my posts trying to ID a tree in my yard, I was under the impression it was a lemon scented tea tree, only now it has lots of white flowers opening up. Would that make it a Mel or a Lep? Any ideas??

[kcpoole]

Cool Tommo
Great plan nice to see development in the ground

@ Luke, Some Mels smell like citrus too, so It can be hard to pick until they flower. I made that mistake and was growing a leptospermum, only to find out it was a Mel
ahh well I never was good at plant ID anyway

Ken

Can you tell me do leptospermum flower? The reason I ask, one of my posts trying to ID a tree in my yard, I was under the impression it was a lemon scented tea tree, only now it has lots of white flowers opening up. Would that make it a Mel or a Lep? Any ideas??

I reckon lepto, I have had several in the yard, at various houses and they are all covered in tiny white flowers this time of year
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptospermum_petersonii

Ken