AusBonsai

If you go for native plants I would say that you should choose ones that grow well in your location. If you are in tropical North Queensland then it’s fairly pointless trying to grow natives from arid parts of Western Australia because the climates will be so wildly different that your success is highly unlikely

Check out the Wiki for a great place to start and lists of trees to begin with
https://www.ausbonsai.com.au/wiki/index ... ter_Bonsai

Ken

There are some great suggestions already. I think you should also take into consideration species that you love - for whatever reason. Leaf colours, leaf shape, the bark or even some other reason.

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jessepap wrote: ↑February 12th, 2020, 1:26 pm I have wasted a few trips already and have visited 5x nurseries around Adelaide (much to the dismay of my wife) and not seen or found one thing i thought i could take away - and then i wondered do i just not know what species to buy but there just doesn't seem to be much on offer... Like i havent seen a fig other than those crappy small little ones in pots sold as 'bonsai'.

So for example an elm - where would you go in Adelaide to buy a simple elm in a pot?

MattS suggested one place that will likely have the species you want. To get myself started I grew quite a few species from seed I collected, or small plants I dug. Chinese elms are quite popular street trees in some areas. I bought my first figs from the trading table at the SA Bonsai Society annual show but have also grown from cuttings I got from other members.

Hi Jessepap,

I know you have been inundated with suggestions about what to get but I thought I might throw my two cents in considering I have only recently gotten my first bonsai (in December) after being obsessed for a while.

My first Bonsai is a ficus microcarpa ginseng which is a pretty stock standard bonsai but it has been very easy to maintain. I think a ficus retusa, as you also suggested, would be a great first bonsai as ficus are pretty easy to maintain and grow pretty quickly. My ficus has exploded with new growth after I started applying fertilizer to it so it makes the growing process a bit quicker.

Not long after I got my ficus I bought some pre-bonsai Chinese elm and Shimpaku juniper trees which have also both been very easy to deal with so far. I think you could also go for a Chinese elm which would be good because again they are very easy to maintain, just keep the water moist and give it some good sun, and again they grow very quickly. I have had my Chinese elm for probably a month and again it has exploded with new growth to my surprise. Junipers are more slow growing so I think it is good to have a mixture of fast growing trees and slow especially for a beginner so that way you have a few trees to work on and learn everything.

I hope some of this helps advice helps from a fellow new bonsai addict.

thanks alex and everyone.

i like your suggestions they really seem to tick the boxes i am after in terms of some beginner trees.

now the hunt on where to purchase these varieties begins....

TimS wrote: ↑February 12th, 2020, 4:04 pm If you go for native plants I would say that you should choose ones that grow well in your location. If you are in tropical North Queensland then it’s fairly pointless trying to grow natives from arid parts of Western Australia because the climates will be so wildly different that your success is highly unlikely

are natives traditionally all slower growers?

jessepap wrote: ↑February 13th, 2020, 3:30 pm

TimS wrote: ↑February 12th, 2020, 4:04 pm If you go for native plants I would say that you should choose ones that grow well in your location. If you are in tropical North Queensland then it’s fairly pointless trying to grow natives from arid parts of Western Australia because the climates will be so wildly different that your success is highly unlikely

are natives traditionally all slower growers?

Absolutely not! You will find with many that while they have adapted to grow more slowly in nature where resources are scarce (ie water/ nutrition), once you start watering them and giving them a little bit of supplemental nutrition in liquid/pellet/whatever form that they will grow rampantly.

I have a lemon scented tea tree, leptospermum petersonii, that has just been bombing away all through summer because it is getting everything it needs. I don't grow a lot in the native range, but i believe tea tree, callistemon are used well, and many of the kunzea species are especially good though others would be able to advise you on natives better.

I just wanted to point out that just because a plant might be a native to Australia doesn't mean it will grow well in all parts of Australia. I see you are in Adelaide so you should be generally pretty good with most though. If you grow ficus you would struggle with having enough humidity to grow aerial roots without a small greenhouse. That's not to say you shouldn't grow figs, just don't expect them to look like they do in queensland!

jessepap wrote: ↑February 13th, 2020, 3:30 pm are natives traditionally all slower growers?

No, a lot are actually pretty fast - the Port Jackson ficus is a native and powers out the growth. Eucalyptus are typically very fast-growing. I have a few callistemons that are pushing out growth very quickly too. Some natives are even regarded as a weed in certain areas, eg melaleuca armillaris.

I'd definitely recommend a trip up to the Belair native nursery to grab a few tubestock - repot, wire up some movement down low and you'll have a nice tree in a few years!

greg27 wrote: ↑February 13th, 2020, 3:50 pm

jessepap wrote: ↑February 13th, 2020, 3:30 pm are natives traditionally all slower growers?

No, a lot are actually pretty fast - the Port Jackson ficus is a native and powers out the growth. Eucalyptus are typically very fast-growing. I have a few callistemons that are pushing out growth very quickly too. Some natives are even regarded as a weed in certain areas, eg melaleuca armillaris.

I'd definitely recommend a trip up to the Belair native nursery to grab a few tubestock - repot, wire up some movement down low and you'll have a nice tree in a few years!

that's even better then! thanks greg.

i think a trip to belair is in order over the weekend.

jessepap wrote: ↑February 13th, 2020, 3:52 pm i think a trip to belair is in order over the weekend.

Don't dismiss the big green shed either - I grabbed a decent-looking Eucalyptus nicholii tubestock from Mile End for $3 the other week. There's not a huge range but they seem to get different bits and pieces in all the time.

Hi juniper squatmata , chinese elm and cotoneaster are the ones that came to mind for me. Squatmata is easy to find at most nurseries and easy to shape. A great one for practice wiring. Good luck.

Greg