Unknown conifer ID needed.

[Neli]

I went to the bush today...on the way passed the botanical garden...they have a tiny nursery,

Found this trees at $2 each and looked to me promising. I asked the guy what it is...one said casuarina...the other Christmas tree...It is obvious it is none of those.
Can you help ID please? It looks some how like cedrus deodora...but has much shorter needles... They are young and I could bend them and grow them in the ground.
I have no idea if a bonsai can be made from them but bought all of them (10) They looked cute to me and the price was good.
Went to the bush to an african village, to collect some handmade/badly made bricks...instead of akadama I called them Zakadama. They decompose after some time(2-3 years), they are porous...made from clay...so I thought they can maybe be used as a substitute for akadama if crushed and sieved,,,never seen akadama in real life and can not find anything for bonsai here...so I will try it...
Does anyone know if it can work?

[Andrew Legg]

Well now, this looks familiar to me, but I'm not 100% sure why. Neli, have a little poke about for Widdringtonia cedarbergensis (Clanwilliam cedar). Right now I'm on my blackberry, so I'm not even going to try to post pics! Seacrh for juvenile foliage pics.

Cheerio,

Andrew

[Bougy Fan]

In the close up picture the foliage looks more like a yew. Other than that I have no idea. The bricks should work as long as the particles don't go soggy. Crush one up and put the bit's in a glass of water for a few weeks. If the pieces stay solid it will be OK. Clay that breaks down will not be a good idea in a bonsai mix - it will badly affect the drainage.

[Pup]

It also looks like a Juniperus feomina (American juniper ) that looks like the juvinile foliage of them. They are usually very straight and upright with reddish peeling bark.

Cheers Pup

[Neli]

Thanks Andrew , Charles and Pup.
I googled them all. Have not offloaded the car yet, to compare properly. Will do that just now.
This looks like some of those junipers...here is what I found at 03 in the morning.
Widdringtonia (3 varieties)



Tosho

Squamata

foemina

scopulorum

So far from what I remember it looks like Widdringtonia , except that the needles are much widely spaced... It was under shade cloth. Can that be the reason?

[Neli]

In the close up picture the foliage looks more like a yew. Other than that I have no idea. The bricks should work as long as the particles don't go soggy. Crush one up and put the bit's in a glass of water for a few weeks. If the pieces stay solid it will be OK. Clay that breaks down will not be a good idea in a bonsai mix - it will badly affect the drainage.

Thanks Mr. C,
Found one yew that looks similar...but most had needles in flat planes.
I shall have to now wait and see if it will develop scale foliage or not. Today wiring and bending will start. Lots of fun!
Do You think it will make a bonsai?
About the bricks...I spotted them 2 years ago in a field out of town, and they have been there at list a year.. Some erosion from the rains on the outer perimeter...and they are somewhat soft, not like commercially made bricks, that are very hard.
What I read about akadama is that disintegrates within 3 years, and it is made out of red clay...so I think this is more or less similar. Lets hope it will work, for I am at a loss what to use.

[AnneK]

JUst a suggestion. I can't see where any of the branches join the main trunk. But that new growth looks horribly like the Italian Stone Pine.

The Italian Stone Pine has right angle branching and there is a collar to each branch making it look like it's been fitted on.

My simple contrib.

Regs. AnneK.

[Neli]

Thank You! It looks a bit for sure...Just that the needles are longer and closely spaced.