AusBonsai

This tree, dug up by hubby on weekend was part of a windbreak, unfortunatly for the tree the cows and sheep have not allowed it to grow more than the two feet high that it is, making it no good as a wind break...
It had some rather large roots but also alot of nice smaller roots, not much of a root ball as was growing in very sandy soil.
The small branches all seem to grow back into the tre in a tangled mess.
The tiny leaves are quite pointy and will make working on this tree a bit prickly.
Any info on species and help on keeping it allive would be greatly appriciated.
Cheers Nora

i reckon it is one of the many sorts of melaleuca.


cant help any more than that

Looks like some sort of paper-bark calistemon. What ever it is. the trunk has nice taper and the base is a rippa!
Nice score.
DK

If its a bit prickly and sharp it may be Melaleuca stypheloides.

Grant

G'day Noramay,

That sure is an excellent piece of stock! Wish I had a windbreak like that!

Looks to me like a Melaleuca styphelioides. A quick search here on AB.c shows lots of results.

Regards,
Steven

Looks and sounds like Melaleuca styphelioides, common name prickly paperbark. As you can see that they have all the attributes for making a good bonsai.

They are native to the coastal areas from the Qld NSW border to the NSW VIC border. As the common name suggest the leaves are prickly to the touch.

Nice find

Cheers Pup

Excellent stock! You should thank your cows and sheep, they have been very nice to you.

Agree with identification.

Thanks for all your help, now I just gotta try and keep it alive.
Should I give it a big chop back?
How moist should I be keeping it?
Cheers NOra

Noramay wrote:Thanks for all your help, now I just gotta try and keep it alive.
Should I give it a big chop back?
How moist should I be keeping it?
Cheers NOra

G,day Nora they are swamp trees so wet is fine.
As for cutting back. Look at the tree first then decide whether you would like a conservative Japanese style,
or a more Australian Penjing style. As I believe after the disscussions we have had here on styles I think our trees lend themselves more to Penjing type styling. As the growth habit is more like the bones of Budda as they say.

Then you can go for the cutting of branches, but remember once they are off they are off it will take a long tome to grow them back.

Cheers Pup

Thanks Pup,
I'll be keeping it nice and damp, its very hard to tell where all the smaller branches start and finish and wash just wondering if I should trim the tree back to its larger structure (if it'll shoot again from hard wood) will have to get in there somehow eventually, or just try and tidy out some of the mess, OR leave it alone and pray it lives...
thanks everyone for your help
Nora