[ID] what this is and whether it has bonsai potential

MoGanic · Post by **MoGanic** » May 30th, 2012, 10:02 pm

Hello all,

Check this lil tree out, the semi-mature full size versions are absolutely gorgeous! Wondering if it has any bonsai potential and also... what the heck it is! Moreover what kind of growing habits does it have!?

Cheers as peeps!

Hackimoto · Post by **Hackimoto** » May 30th, 2012, 10:05 pm

Smell the foliage.... Rosemary maybe? If it is it's OK for temporary bonsai practise but may not live as long as you might like.

chrisatrocky · Post by **chrisatrocky** » May 30th, 2012, 10:12 pm

It does look like Rosemary , and very healthy.

chris

MoGanic · Post by **MoGanic** » May 30th, 2012, 10:14 pm

Hmm... rosemary you think? **runs off to smell** - it smells like grass... definitely not a herb bush! That certainly narrowed it down significantly though

squizzy · Post by **squizzy** » May 30th, 2012, 10:18 pm

Yeah I thought rosemary was too easy.

Westringia maybe longifloia?

I would have guessed one of the prostanthera aswell but the no smell thing has thrown that out the window.

Squizz

MoGanic · Post by **MoGanic** » May 30th, 2012, 10:22 pm

Time will tell if it's a Westringia, though I'm not seeing any flower buds yet, definitely isn't a longifolia (ps the name amuses me... long-folia.. long foliage.. heh heh

)

Any idea on where or what I could potentially search?

Hackimoto · Post by **Hackimoto** » May 30th, 2012, 10:36 pm

Great, no smell then it is probably Westringia rosmarinifolia. Another descriptive name. Not good for bonsai.

GavinG · Post by **GavinG** » May 31st, 2012, 6:03 pm

Hackimoto, why are Westringia no good for bonsai? Seems it would have potential - small leaves, flowers freely, interesting bark. I'm guessing touchy with root-pruning?

Gavin

Jester · Post by **Jester** » May 31st, 2012, 6:34 pm

Could be a Westringia Fruiticosa (Coast Rosemary).....not sure

John

Hackimoto · Post by **Hackimoto** » May 31st, 2012, 7:54 pm

Why is it not good for Bonsai?? In my experience it is relatively short lived, will drop branches for no apparent reason, is not overly fond of root pruning and is very susceptible to curl grubs in the potting mix. In Koreshoff's book on Bonsai with Australian Natives it doesn't even get a mention. Not sure about Len Webber's book as I don't have it. Even as a hedge plant it can look great for 10 years and then two or three of the individual plants can suddenly drop dead within days for no apparent reason. I would love to see or hear of any that anyone has and had success with.

GavinG · Post by **GavinG** » June 1st, 2012, 2:47 pm

Thanks Hackimoto, you've saved me a few years of getting nowhere. Back to my sulking Grevilleas.

Gavin

MoGanic · Post by **MoGanic** » February 25th, 2013, 7:41 pm

Hi all,

remember this one?

Have been doing a bit of experimenting on it and have discovered a few things... clues so to speak. A. Backbuds well, even on the trunk (got a new leader going by chopping the trunk). B. Grows profusely (Third hard prune you guys are seeing in the photos below) and C. This should help heaps - has yellow flowers. Kind of like a wattle yellow!

Any ideas? P.s. the trunk under the soil is really quite nice =D Has some good movement and the bark has started to look slightly fissured but still the good color (no rot).

Hackimoto · Post by **Hackimoto** » February 25th, 2013, 9:23 pm

A pic or description of the flowers would give a positive I.D.

MoGanic · Post by **MoGanic** » February 25th, 2013, 10:23 pm

Hackimoto wrote:A pic or description of the flowers would give a positive I.D.

Alas my dear friend Hack, I have not a photo of the flowers. Small, bright canary yellow, emerge at the height of spring I think. They are perhaps 1 cm across 1.5 at most, a humble yet beautiful sight when the plant is covered in them. I'll see if I can google a pic!

Hackimoto · Post by **Hackimoto** » February 26th, 2013, 9:39 am

Is it a 5 petaled flower or a pea shape (legume) or a puff ball like a wattle

Just trying to narrow it down a bit.

AusBonsai