Melaleuca armillaris progression

[Steven]

G'day,

I found this one at Lindsay Farr's Bonsai Farm last year while I was in Melbourne for the AABC convention. Lindsay advised that it was originally tube stock that he wired for movement about 20 years ago and the tree had spent all its life in a bonsai pot.

2012 May (a).jpg

I did an impromptu workshop with Pup in his hotel room and we came up with a good future design for the tree.

2012 May (b).jpg

2012 May (c).JPG

2012 May (d).jpg

It loved the temperate environment here and responded with a flush of new growth. In October I repotted it on a new angle into my standard mix and nice Loraine Simpson pot.

2012 October (a).jpg

2012 October (b).jpg

It powered on after the repot and has been trimmed 2 or 3 times since then. The growth is quiet vigorous and very straight.

2013 May (a).jpg

Last night I rewired the tree and gave it a light trim. I have found that this one does not back shoot on bare branches so I will always leave some leaves growth. I'm hoping to be able to compact the foliage further and get a bit more separation between pads.

2013 June (a).jpg

Any input or critique is always welcome.

Regards,
Steven

[Ash]

Hi Steven,

It's looking good, I like the improved shape of the upper half and can only say keep doing what you are doing. Over time, I would keep the crown from becoming too dense as the lightness of the trunk is complemented by the current density of the tree crown. Is the rough patch in the mid trunk lichen? or are there two different types of bark on the tree?

Ash

[Pup]

Pity you cant send it over mate, its just the right size for me now. It is coming along nicely, not sure about the pot though ,it looks very heavy for the tree.

Maybe the same style but a shallower and more round.

I do like it though, you have answered a question for me in that it does not back bud.

One I have in my collection ( Houdini) I have been arguing/ discussing it for 10 years, that it is not M, parviflora but M, alternifolia.
Houdini back buds all over, it also has a very strong aroma which is very pleasant, but hard to discern to get some recognition to speak of.

Cheers Pup

[Barry1]

Love this tree and the work you and pup have done to it

Cheers
Barry

[time8theuniverse]

So it only takes 20 years to get bark like that? Wow, this is a good example of why bonsai is inspiring to me as an art form. Someone grows a tree for decades and then lets someone else continue the creative work after that.

One criticism (kind of a question too) the trunk between the 1st and 2nd branch seems straight compared to the rest of the curve to the right of the tree. I'm not sure if its just the way the photo shows it. If it is I think the front could be rotated a little. If its just straight/(er) does if need to curve to match the rest?

[GavinG]

Great trunk movement and interesting foliage - your ideas on keeping the canopy light work very well.

I'm wondering (deep breath) if the straight bit in the main trunk after the first branch/trunk thing means that you would consider cutting it off, leaving that left-leaning trunk/branch as the tree. Potted maybe in something about half the size of the present pot, at pretty much the same angle. The line is very good, but it may reduce the tree to not much at all... I'm interested in your thoughts.

Thanks for posting,

Gavin

[Steven]

Thanks for the feedback Ash. Yes, the patch in the mid trunk is lichen. See the pic below for a close up.

lichen (a).jpg

G'day Pup, yes it's a lovely pot but a bit oversized. I've got a couple of pots that would be a much better size but I'm happy for it to stretch its legs and develop in this one for a year or 2. This Mel has a lovely smell but it is pretty subtle.

Hi Time8, that section of trunk does look straight in the picture but not so much in real life. I looked at rotating the front slightly clockwise last night with a couple of bonsai mates but the lower trunk looked best at this angle. It is something that I may address in the future with some bending techniques. Being old and relatively thin it is very brittle.

Gavin, you have a good eye. That was another suggestion last night and is a very distinct possibility in the future. It would make a pretty interesting tree but I'm going to continue along this path for now. Appreciate your idea though

Regards,
Steven

[bodhidharma]

I'm wondering (deep breath) if the straight bit in the main trunk after the first branch/trunk thing means that you would consider cutting it off, leaving that left-leaning trunk/branch as the tree. Potted maybe in something about half the size of the present pot, at pretty much the same angle. The line is very good, but it may reduce the tree to not much at all... I'm interested in your thoughts.

Thanks for posting,

Yes, that would be a good future for the tree but also a very brave decision. Change the potting angle to the left a tad also once it was done, Maybe reduce bit by bit. so it is not to much of a shock for you Steven

[Dario]

Hi Steven, nice tree with a great future...it will get better and better!
I think Gavin's post had some great suggestions...keeping the canopy light...consider cutting it off straight section.
I am sure there are a few different options on the trees future design and it will be fun to watch you further develop this tree.
My observation regarding the straight section of trunk...the left branch below it has a straight section at its base. Whilst it is true that it is thinner and a little shorter than the straight section above it, it branches of at a 45 degree angle making it less noticable as your eye can easily move along it.
However the straight section above it is vertical, and on a lower trunk with such nice movement, your eye seems to focus more on that area.
So to me, whilst it isn't ideal that it is straight, the fact that it is vertical seems to be more of an issue.
Cheers, Dario.

[Steven]

I'm persisting with the current design... for now...
It has been shooting lower on the branches and in hindsight I should have probably pruned it harder as looking at the photo I reckon the size of the foliage should reduce. Still need to get more definition into the individual foliage pads as looking at the picture it looks like 1 big one.

2013 December (a).JPG

[Steven]

I was at the Cumberland State Forest Nursery earlier today and found out that this one is M. armillaris not M. alternifolia as I previously thought.

Here's an updated picture while I'm at it... Wire is off and some of the branches have been removed.

2014 March (a).JPG

Regards,
Steven

[Jason]

Love it Steven, very natural feel to it

[bodhidharma]

Yes it is starting to come into its own now Steven. Probably not necessary to go radical, just keep the ramifying and denser foliage happening.

[Boics]

I like it a lot.

I think I've got an armillaris and it back buds on bare wood.
It is very young though.

I'll try to remember to check.

[hugh grant]

Lovely steven!
your handle on native material is really top quality! loving your work

Hugh