AusBonsai

Hi there,

I received a bonsai as a gift, although no identification was attached. Please help me identify it! Also this is my first bonsai and I'm not sure how to look after it. I've been watering it when then soil seems dry (I test this by sticking my finger into the soil a little), this seems to be every second day. I've been leaving it in the sun for a few hours each day, but I think I left it out too long because the leaves have turned red when they were originally green

Any help much appreciated

Ary

I don't know what species it is but I think the red leaves are due to the effect of winter.

It probably has red bell flowers and a complicated botanical name which I can't quite cognate (probably come to me at 2am!!)

looks like olive leaf

thats what i was thinking... turned pic around

Not an Olive Like Tanglefoot it will come to me when I am asleep

can we get a closer pic of the leaf
i have olive with red leaf

Hebe leaves can have that dent down the centre but I don't think it would be that ???

One of the Cotoneasters?

Tman wrote:One of the Cotoneasters?

Yeah that might be it?? Is it sitting on a rock or what is that down there !?

Hebe quite possible with that speckled trunk and indented leaf.

Looks to me like agapetes should have a red tubular flower a bit like a fucshia.
Craigw

craigw60 wrote:Looks to me like agapetes should have a red tubular flower a bit like a fucshia.
Craigw

That is the name which I can never remember, I have one of these at home. They have an unusual growth habit, the roots thicken really well into a solid mass below soil level and shoots grow from this mass. These shoots sometimes die back and the plant sends out new shoots this results in a large root mass with skinny shoots coming off of it. Shoots are long and lack taper and will not ramify until they are cut back new shoots appear in winter and have a nice reddish tinge.
I think they might make nice bonsai but you must work on the ramification by constantly cutting bach these long shoots.

Ah so that swelling is the root base then

I think this plant would make a better trained hanging basket than bonsai
Craigw