ID THIS TREE PLEASE

[Craig]

i HAVE THIS TREE WHICH I'VE BEEN TOLD IS A PODOCARPUS, MAYBE AN ELATUS, WITH MALE FOLIAGE.iTS QUITE OLD AND IT STANDS 1.2M HIGH.THE BARK PLATES LOOK LIKE PINE PLATES,I GOT THIS TREE FROM A BOSAI SHOP IN PERTH W.A, WHICH IS NOW CLOSED, ALL I WAS TOLD IT WAS A PODOCARPUS,,, CAN ANYONE HELP ME ID THIS TREE PLEASE? ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED, THANKS CRAIG

[Pup]

G,day Craig when Asquith's nursery had them they were elatus, so if that is where you bought it is possible. The only other Nursery that has closed it the last 5years is Bonsai Kingdom. Not sure if he had them. That nursery was just of the highway. Asquith's was in Jandakot.

Hope this is of some help, by the way Asquith's have been closed since the late 90s about 97.

Cheers Pup

[Craig]

HI PUP, YES THATS WHERE I GOT THIS TREE(ASQUITH'S), SO WHAT YOUR SAYING IS ITS ALMOST DEFINATELY A PODOCARPUS ELATUS----I WISH THAT STORE NEVER CLOSED, IT WAS A GOOD ONE AND THE OWNER A WEALTH OF INFORMATION, THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT PUP,,,CRAIG

[Pup]

HI PUP, YES THATS WHERE I GOT THIS TREE(ASQUITH'S), SO WHAT YOUR SAYING IS ITS ALMOST DEFINATELY A PODOCARPUS ELATUS----I WISH THAT STORE NEVER CLOSED, IT WAS A GOOD ONE AND THE OWNER A WEALTH OF INFORMATION, THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT PUP,,,CRAIG

Well when I was helping him out he was importing trees from the Eastern states and also sourcing stock locally. Without being absolute, as I said when he had them they were nearly always Elatus, but!!. I was not into natives as much as now so did not take much notice.

I do know that he was taught by the late Leonard Webber. As he was along time Navy man, so when he was in Sydney he took lessons at the Ryde School.

He was also the first to import Superthrive into Australia in bulk. It was the better part of his business at the time of him closing down.
Yes we do miss him he had the best selection of pots around. He was able to get them from all, as he had no competition for quite a while.

Then he and his wife went into ceramics, and that was it.

Cheers Pup

[Craig]

THANKS FOR THE INFO PUP IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED, CHEERS CRAIG

[ric]

Hi I would be looking at comparing your tree with your WA Agonis flexuosa as the zig-zag growth of the twig and sharp ended leaves remind me of that. The nice rough bark also could be that. You could try sniffing the crushed leaf if it has a Eucalyptus like smell that also could place it.

Onyer mate
Ric

[Craig]

HI RIC THANKS FOR HELPING OUT. I'VE HAD A QUICK SEARCH BUT CANT FIND A REALLY GOOD PIC, BUT I THINK YOU COULD BE RIGHT. THE LEAVES ARE THE SAME AS A LITTLE TREE OF THE SAME TYPE ,WHICH I COLLECTED FROM UNDERNEATH A LARGER TREE OF THE SAME TYPE.THE LEAVES DO SEEM TO SMELL LIKE A EUCALYPT.THIS PIC I FOUND OF AGONIS FLEXUOSA---THE ONLY THING I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE AGONIS, IS FROM MEMORY IT HAS MORE OF A STRINGY/FLAKEY TYPE OF BARK, I'M NOT SOLD ON THE BARK BUT IT COULD BE, I'M JUST NOT SURE YET,,i'm not sure if it's podocarpus elatus bark either,,i'm puzzled,,CHEERS CRAIG

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[Ash]

Hi all,

The leaf and shoot structure of your lovely tree are not that of any Podocarpaceae and don't really resemble Podocarpus elatus. The leaves of Podocarps are entirely glabrous, glossy, bear finely pinnate venation from a central midrib which is grooved above, the phylotaxy is alternate, distichous and the shoots are modular and proleptic- (a small section of shoots bearing multiple leaves emerges at a time) and the leaves are alternate at the base of the module and crowded towards the end where the plant will rest a bit and the next bud form. The internodes remain green until quite old. The bark is lost in flat papery sheets.

Your tree isn't a conifer but a flowering plant (so one day you will be rewarded with some flowers) and I would suggest it is in the family Myrtaceae (gums, paperbarks, bottlebrush and all that jazz). But the name should not deter you- it is lovely material.

Nonetheless try and source a Podocarp- they sure make great bonsai. Prumnoptitis ladei has small leaves but you will have a long long white beard before you have a thick trunk!

all the best
Ash

[Craig]

THANKS ASH, NOW WE'RE STARTING TO GET SOMEWHERE.FLOWERS- MAYBE THAT WOULD HELP TO ID THIS TREE, . SO UNSURE OF WHAT TO DO WITH THIS TREE SO I HAVE TRIMMED IT BACK A LITTLE, AND PLANTED BACK INTO THE GROUND FOR A FEW YEARS.HOPEFULLY IT'LL THICKEN AND PUT OFF SOME MORE BRANCHES FOR ME,. I WILL IN THE MEANTIME START LOOKING AT SOME MYRTACEAE SPECIES AND SEE WHAT I CAN FIND---THANKS AGAIN ASH.........CRAIG

[Pup]

G,day Craig as I said about the podocarpus, I was not sure, but I went and took some pictures of the Agonis flexuosa planted as street trees in my street they are about
14 years old.

The bark is different to the one you have. You may have them round the wrong way!. Any way here are the pics of the tree's

Cheers Pup

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[Craig]

THANKS PUP, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WEREN'T TOTALLY SURE, THANKS FOR TAKING TIME TO GET SOME PICS AND LOOKING FOR ME,I REALLY APPRECIATE IT..THE PICS I POSTED ABOVE ARE LABELED CORRECT ,MAYBE BARK NOT AS OLD AS THE PICS YOU TOOK OR SOMETHING ,I DONT KNOW. THIS TOPIC HAS HELPED ME TO KNOW THE NAME OF ANOTHER TREE I COLLECTED(as stated above)FROM UNDERNEATH ANOTHER BIGGER TREE. IT IS THIS LITTLE AGONIS FLEXUOSA, THE LEAVES SMELL LIKE PEPERMINT FOR SURE. THANKS AGAIN,,, CRAIG