Huon pine

[Damian Bee]

Does anyone have a huon pine?

I have recently picked one up, I think it ha great potential as bonsai.
Foliage is like that of Sargents juniper.

I can't post any pics as I am on the smellophone.
Post them later.

[Roger]

Damian
Huon's do grow well in pots, though trunk growth is very slow (diameter, that is). With regular fertilising, the growth is a rich green and dense.

They take well to pruning and are quite vigorous in root growth.

Styling seems to be the biggest challenge from the several attempts I have seen. The young branches naturally have a weeping form, which is attractive. I'm sure some great trees will come from this species. I hope your post gets some growers to show us their best too.

Roger

[Damian Bee]

Some pics.

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I am hoping to layer off the top in a couple of places, 1 about 50mm or so below that bend and again further towards the growth tip so as not to just lop things off and throw them on the heap. If they do indeed grow slow in cultivation then it may be best as a mini.

The weeping growth habit should make for a interesting angle on windswept or cascade, I don't know how they get to upright trees if this is how they live out their younger years.

I will keep progress posted when prodded.

[Roger]

The 'weeping' to 'upright' is fascinating to watch. Young branches start out weeping, then during their second or third year, they progressively straighten. This kind of growth is not unique to the Huons, but it is wonderful to watch 'unfold' so to speak.

This past year, I looped a bit of wire around a few weeping tips and anchored them to the straight trunk below so that I could try to keep the weeping shape as if it were the top of the mature tree. Don't know how it will work, but will see after this next growing season.

R

[Damian Bee]

I know that feeling, I have a Euc ficifolia in the front yard, it started its life in a upright position, then a reclining pose then 12 months later it was formal upright, somehow through either cell expansion in the trunk or the roots doing some underground aerobics it is a straightish tree again

[Brian]

I completely understand your desire to grow the Huon pine. I guess its a bit sentimental to grow a revered Australian species. However I believe it will not flourish as a bonsai and the foliage is very course. You would be better to grow it as a garden specimen and stay with a Sergeants juniper for a bonsai.

[Roger]

An nteresting comment, Brian. I've never thought of the Huon foliage quite that way before.

For me, I don't see it as course. Left to it's own devices, the branching pattern of the 1-2 yr old branchlets, the growth is a bit open, but the leaves are very small indeed.

I've not tried any intense pruning to see how it responds. Could be worth a try - maybe somebody has already done that and could let us know.

I feel that it is still waiting for people to try out various techniques and design systems before any decisions on what will work or not can be made. Just my musings along a line different from yours.

Roger

[Damian Bee]

More food for thought....

http://www.apstas.com/Huon_Pine.html

I appreciate what Brian has said, however I still believe it is worth a crack.
I say this from working with Callitris glaucophylla, (I know that the two are very different trees with different characteristics). Rather than cutting back the foliage I would pick out the new tips on a couple of branches to encourage denser pads. The result was very attractive. Unless this has been done on a routine with Huon Pine then I am inclined to keep trying.

As a further example, I will use the deciduous Magnolia, (again a completely different tree but to illustrate my point).
Magnolia stellata has large flowers and large leaves if left to grow well and unchecked. We know that we can reduce the foliage size with the correct pruning and the root system can be controlled in a similar manner. The flowers cannot be reduced and are often considered too big for Bonsai however, the tree takes on its own unique aesthetic and beauty just as the flowers are opening which makes it a worthy subject for many.

Huon pine also has its own unique qualities and some of (if not all of) the building blocks for good Bonsai. Australia's flora is still much underestimated and unexplored as Bonsai material, remembering that the art of Bonsai is less than a century old here and only in the last 40 or so years have we really started to recognise the potential of our flora with Bonsai. While we continue to give preference to exotic specimens for their history of performance and aesthetic in this context, we turn away from what potential we already have. Yes I am a horticultural patriot

I love a good discussion, its only through discussion, difference of opinion, trial and error, learning from mistakes and a bag full of etcetera thrown in that anything can ever be resolved or progressed.

[Rory]

Huon Pine make glorious Bonsai.

They are indeed in my opinion the Kings of the Australian Bonsai
I have been growing Huon's for about 15 years, and absolutely assure you that you will love them. Do not give up. I lost my first one to inexperience, then pursued again with a few more, and have never regretted it.

They naturally weep, with the most beautifully pendulous branches. The main mistake you would make if you don't know much about them, is to pot them in a small pot. Make sure your bonsai pot is very big for them.

Pros

They can be cut back hard.
They cannot be overwatered to death (remember they love the shade and love water), so in Summer, plenty of water is needed.
They naturally weep, with pendulous branches. As the tree ages, it is the most magnificent of the Australian trees.
If it dies, you have some very $$$$ wood to sell, albeit small.
Very old branches are still fairly easy to shape. Takes a long time to harden.
Can be shaped in any style you want. Literati rules the roost for this one in my opinion.
You will get shoots even as low as the base of the trunk, so if you want a branch anywhere, just give it time.
They will let you know very quickly if they are in need of water, and unlike a lot of Australian bonsai natives, not too late. eg, on a day of about 40 deg plus, they will start to droop heavily, thus begging you for a misty spray in the shade.

Cons

Slow. You will get about 1 cm trunk thickening for 10 years growth on average. Though you will be rewarded in time.
Do not allow the soil to get dry, and always needs to be sprayed with mist over summer to protect the leaves.
Don't try growing them in pretty much the upper half of Australia. Don't do well in dry climates. If you wake up in winter and you usually have fog or mist in the air, you are in Huon's paradise.
Strongly recommend growing them in a bonsai pot that is bigger than you would normally. Whatever you would normally try to bonsai your Huon Pine in, double that size, and start from there. They need lots of soil to grow, and protects them from drying out in the heat.

[GavinG]

It would be good to see some photos, BBman, I'd like nto see how you've chosen to style them. I always thought the Huons would have trouble near Sydney - good to know they survive. There will be a very good Tasmanian example in Canberra, when the NBPCA opens in February.

Gavin

[Rory]

It would be good to see some photos, BBman, I'd like nto see how you've chosen to style them. I always thought the Huons would have trouble near Sydney - good to know they survive. There will be a very good Tasmanian example in Canberra, when the NBPCA opens in February.

Gavin

Yeah, sorry it might be a while before I can take some shots, as we are on holidays, and the huon's are at my mothers whilst we are away.... anyway. Hopefully sometime in the future we'll get round to it. Yeah, I had a lot, but I had to move in to a unit when I was in my 20's, and my mother took all my bonsai for that time until I finally managed to buy my own house. Unfortunately by the time I hit my 30's, my mother gave me the sorry news, that most of them did not make it, because she used to leave them in full sun. Sometimes mothers know best, ... but... not that time. I had left about 20 at her house, and there are now 3 remaining. One is about 20 years old, and the other 2 are quite young, probably about 5 years old. I was devastated. But, you cannot blame someone else who tries to look after your treasures. I had some absolute beauties, but hopefully the seedlings we have going will replace that little hole in my heart. My 4 year old son obviously doesn't understand why I spend time watering and sitting with them, but hopefully in time, he will see what my mother introduced to me as well, and appreciate them.

[Josh]

Hi Damien, can I ask where you got it from. After living in Tassie for a while and seeing the huons in the wild I love them. I would love to get a huon pine to grow as bonsai. The only down side I see is that they are so slow to grow but if you have time it would be worth it.
I got some huon wood from Tassie and made this

[Damian Bee]

Hi there.
My Huon pine came from Conifer Gardens Nursery in the Dandenongs.
There were only a couple left but they may have since restocked.
Good luck

[Josh]

Hi there.
My Huon pine came from Conifer Gardens Nursery in the Dandenongs.
There were only a couple left but they may have since restocked.
Good luck

Thanks for that, will have to make a trip up there.

Josh

[Jeff]

There are huon pines (30 years +) at Chojo Feature Trees. 136 York Rd Mt Evelyn. Open weekends only.


Jeff