Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

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Redsonic
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Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by Redsonic »

Nice 1.5m street shrub looks like it would make good Bonsai material. Closest I can get to identifying it is as a Myrtle of some sort.
The large internodes are very obvious and the newer wood is very flexible, almost like a succulent. It has just stopped flowering. Any ideas?

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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by treeman »

Beats me but it's not in the Myrtacea
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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by Sno »

Hi Redsonic . To me ,from the photos it kinda looks like a stressed out Tasmannia lanceolata 'Mountain Pepper' .
Last edited by Sno on August 8th, 2015, 1:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by shibui »

Hi Redsonic . To me ,from the photos it kinda looks like a stressed out Tasmannia lanceolata 'Mountain Pepper' .
It does look a bit like that but way too big and way too far north.
http://shibuibonsai.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by Redsonic »

The fact that ausbonsai people are having trouble IDing it makes me feel a bit better about my failure!
I have checked out a lot of resources and haven't seen anything exactly right.
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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by Sno »

Shibui wrote
'It does look a bit like that but way too big and way too far north.'

That was what I first thought , but people plant things out of there natural habitat all the time . Plants can survive
( maybe not thrive ) out of the natural range . I'm growing Eucalyptus melliodora up here in the mountains , at this time of the year with the temps I expierance they look half dead . Every spring they bounce back and regain health over summer . I suppose if you can survive a atomic blast a colder winter than its normal habitat is a walk in the park .
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibakujumoku
It could be another species of tasmannia . Formerly Drimys , they range from Tasmania up to New Guinea .
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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by Redsonic »

I checked out the Tasmmania and Dimys genus and they are possibilities. The leaves are definitely not fragrant though.
I'll visit it again and see if it is fruiting yet.
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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by angelozoras »

Agonis ??

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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by Redsonic »

angelozoras wrote:Agonis ??

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That's the closest suggestion I've seen, but Agonis flexuosa doesn't have those prominent internodes and the flowers aren't quite right.
I am visiting the area where it grows tomorrow, so I will try and find some fruit.
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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by Redsonic »

I visited the plant today to see if there was any fruit (nope). Two first Australians were sitting next to it and I asked them if they knew what it was. The woman said no, but it was a "blackfella" tree, which I think means native! She said she would try and find out what it is. Someone has to figure it out someday....
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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by Sno »

If you are on facebook, try httpss://www.facebook.com/groups/332752936930981 some one more local to the area may know it . You need to tell them the area, ( Lytton ) I got that from the background signage of the federal member . Also a better photo of the flower , your photo is a bit dodgy (too much sunlight) . An Ausbonsai member named Joel (who is from what I have seen on here is a bit of a plant nerd :reading: :worship: ;) ) recommended this site on this thread viewtopic.php?f=134&t=19361&start=0 . I think it's great too .
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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by squizzy »

I am thinking a euphorbia of some kind?

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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by squizzy »

maybe for the flowers more than the growth but it does look somewhere between E.grifithii and the diamond frost or star dust ones that are popular at the moment on garden centres??????

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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by Redsonic »

Sno wrote:If you are on facebook, try httpss://www.facebook.com/groups/332752936930981 some one more local to the area may know it . You need to tell them the area, ( Lytton ) I got that from the background signage of the federal member . Also a better photo of the flower , your photo is a bit dodgy (too much sunlight) . An Ausbonsai member named Joel (who is from what I have seen on here is a bit of a plant nerd :reading: :worship: ;) ) recommended this site on this thread viewtopic.php?f=134&t=19361&start=0 . I think it's great too .
Agree re the dodgy flower photo. The flowers are pretty ratty at the moment, but I should be able to get a better pic if I take my camera (rather than phone) with me next time.
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Re: Is this a Heath Myrtle? Lots of photos

Post by Redsonic »

OK, some better (I hope) photos of the flowers:

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The flowers are small (about 3cm across the longest petals) and there are not many left. The bush is much taller than the Euphorbia varieties seem to be.

Edited to add a third photo:

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Last edited by Redsonic on August 19th, 2015, 1:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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