AusBonsai

Progression thread : Leptospermum brachyandrum

This was purchased in 2018 from Plants Plus in Castle Hill.

A very hardy tree. The foliage has a tinge of silver to it. But the standout for this tree is the colours on the bark as it ages. It resembles a Crepe myrtle.
It is highly tolerant of Myrtle rust, and I haven't had any problems with it.
It tolerates a heavy root removal, and has no problem having all foliage removed if you need to. (no point though)
The branches weep, making it a beautiful tree to look at.
I have occasionally had die back after a cut-back, so I usually recommend growing with clip and grow to try and promote branching close to the trunk.
01 May 2018
10 Jan 2022

I have repotted this and removed a lot of root. It didn't care and has powered on. Eventually I'll cut the trunk about halfway up the photo. Its a long term grow and clip project this one. Ive recently acquired a lot of the 'jack frost' variants, thanks to Kirky on here. So once they're up and running I'll start a few progression threads of those too. They look amazing with their new growth.

I realize its not quite yet 01.01.2023, but its easier to post that its 2023, so looking back people can easily distinguish that its a year apart. Its only 1 day before the actual date.
01Jan2023

Cut back hard, and placed into a Pat Kennedy Bonsai pot (Australia)

They develop gorgeous colours on their trunks. Incredibly hardy tree too.
17Nov2023

So I decided to grow this in a bigger pot, as the foliage is hard to reduce. So I'd rather it look more natural with a larger pot, rather than waste my time trying to constantly keep the foliage smaller.
This is bulletproof this species. You could probably repot and cut the roots 6 times a year and it wouldn't blink. (don't try this at home though)
16May2024

Just allowed this one to grow and thicken. Incredibly hardy species and very rewarding with its beautiful coloured trunk.
Not sure I'm going to keep it in this Walsall pot, but might have a PK for it when it gets older.
15Nov2024

This is probably the second best recommendation I would give to any bonsai enthusiast.
Its bullet proof. But more importantly, the trunk eventually develops the most mind blowing colours you'll ever see on a Leptospermum. It rivals Eucs but is far superior, because of the small leaves.

I adore this species so much that I've bought another one to keep as a small shohin.

I have cut this back a lot and placed it into its new PK home. This is a perfect combination of tree and pot. You have to just adore PK pots.
12 Apr 2025