AusBonsai

He guys and girls
I recently notice a small shrub where I was working, and I thought it looked like it would be a nice bonsai.

I’m now noticing these shrubs everywhere.

Was driving home On new Illawarra rd today and snapped off a few picture

Anyone have any idea what they are called and if they make good bonsai






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I can't work out how to zoom in on the photos but from a distance they look very much like banksias. I think I can even make out cones inside on the last photo. Trunks and growth habit also look right for the smaller shrubby Banksia species.
The yellow growth is also common with many banksias at certain times of the year.
A little more detail of the leaves and maybe seed cones if they have them would enable a better guess but with the little you have given I will guess Banksia spinulosa or one of its many selections or hybrids. Leaves look just a bit too broad for B. ericifolia.

WOW Neil....hahaha.... i reckon your bang on. I myself have never seen THAT yellow a leaf needle, almost Larch like in density/look, very much an iron/mag deficiency looks like, what ya reckon?

Definitely looks like Fe or Mg deficiency but seems to return to normal colour without any intervention so seems to be a seasonal thing. Our 'Giant candles' is affected most here and can get to similar yellow but then returns to green after a few months.

Cheers guys, some that I have noticed have had a long slender seed cone.


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Long, slender seed cone would probably tally with banksia but your idea of long and slender may be different to mine.....

Banksia ericifolia id say, pretty common in the Illawarra


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Im with shibui

It looks like spinulosa to me. Its probably too tall for birthday candles but there are a few different varieties now that are slightly taller

Squizzy

Banksia ericifolia id say, pretty common in the Illawarra

Granted that ericifolia is very common naturally in the area but these appear to have been planted and, even though the resolution is not good, the leaves look just a bit too long and broad for it. Won't know for sure unless Pebble can give us a closer view of the leaves and/or cones. I'm still going for a spinulosa variety or hybrid along with Squizzy.