[ID] Please help with this one

[Ryszil]

Hey guys,

I have this tree growing in the backyard that has always intrigued me. I dont know if it's suitable for bonsai or not but I'd like to know what it is if possible. I just found a little seedling growing in my brick path that I think is the same thing. Rather than describe the leaves I have the photo below, sorry the shot of the overall tree is a little harder to distinguish because of the background (but it's not the palm tree ). The bark is fairly smooth greyish colour, the tree has grown almost straight up with some slight bends in the trunk, in it's current position it is too tall for me to be able to photograph in one shot. There aren't any branches for the first 1.5m but it looks like there might be nodes where it could have grown, the top is more dense (although still sparse-ish) but it doesn't see a lot of light down low. The trunk has a similar scaring for lack of a better word where each branch comes out.

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I hope I have given enough info. Thanks in advance.

[DangerousDave]

Leaves look like Grevillea robusta to me. Bark is a bit smooth, but I’m mostly familiar with it as a more mature tree (and from >10 yrs ago, before I moved north) - quite possible bark is smooth when this ‘small’. I assume this is probably grown as a street tree in your part of the world? Are there larger ones around you?
I’ll leave the suitability for bonsai discussion for once the ID is confirmed. Cheers. Dave

Edit: Sorry, common name = silky oak. Very distinct golden-orange bloom that would stand out if it is growing in your local area.

[Ryszil]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the reply. It is actually tucked away sort of the back corner of my block between the fence and a gazebo. At this stage I would say it is approximately 4-5m tall and appears to be growing taller. I'd guess the trunk at about 80mm at the base. Having google'd silky oak I have to admit, the leaves look very similar although I have never seen any bloom. The trunk is a lot smoother but that is probably because it is so much thinner than what it could grow too?? Which also piques my interest more. There is a park down the road that might have them, I also live very close to a bushland reserve.

[Ryszil]

What a difference it makes it have a species to google, a few links down an viola there is a ausbonsai post or 10, I'm 90% sure Dave is correct but if anyone wants to confirm to close the topic out? Sounds like they are a challenge to make presentable but doable and at the very least the tree can't continue to grow where it is and certainly not to full size. I'll start going through the posts but considering the backlog of things I'm already trying to learn if anyone has some quick advice (sorry probably wrong topic now, might need to go to advice and maintenance) that would be awesome.

I have only started reading about air layering, I imagine it would be possible to air layer multiple points over one trunk?

[shibui]

I'd also pick this as grevillea robusta. They often don't flower until they get closer to full height and 5+ years old.

[dansai]

Although my first thought was also Grevillea robusta, the image of the bark didn't quite sit right. So I went outside to the 2 growing in my garden and it appears the very top has smooth bark, so maybe. However the leaves are a lot less open than those in the original post.

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It could just be growing conditions, or it could be that it is something else. Definitely looks like a Grevillea, but the only ones I know that are more tree like are rainforest trees, which includes G. robusta, and have more lush leaves. I don't know wether you have others in Perth. It may also be a hybrid between G. robusta and another Grevillea.

What ever it is I would say there is not much use air layering unless you can get up to where there are branches. Also, from my experience, every Grevillea I have cut back hard, (except for a random one that I think was a seed from the G. robusta in my yard but has different flowers) has unceremoniously carked it shortly after.

[Raging Bull]

Hi Ryszil, I'm on the Gold Coast and there are quite a few silky oaks growing in this area. At no stage of their growth have I seen any with a smooth bark like that. The foliage does look like a grevillea of some sort, but not likely to be a silky oak., That's all I can offer on this topic. Cheers, Frank.

[melbrackstone]

It's prolly a Grevillea somethingorother, judging by the leaves...not knowing West Aus varieties, it's a bit hard to tie down. Definitely the foliage is not as generous as the silky oak we have here on the East coast....

Perhaps a local nursery can help?

[melbrackstone]

Whilst working on cyanotypes today, a friend supplied this leaf, which is from her Silky Oak tree!

Looks like yours is Grevillea robusta!

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[Ryszil]

Thanks guys,

I have google'd and google'd and the robusta is the only one that comes close. Next time I'm at a nursery I'll ask just to be sure.

And as an added bonus I learnt a new word, 'cyanotypes' . It looked really nice too Mel

[melbrackstone]

Glad to be of help.

It's world cyanotype day today....

[Ryszil]

Ok I went to a nursery today, one guy said definitely not grevillea because of the bark but his boss said as best he can put it, it is a grevillea robusta. Is it possible that the growing conditions have simply kept the trunk immature (best word I can think of there). I have a seedling growing at the moment, it will be interesting to see what happens.