New Natives

A place to post and chat about Australian native species as Bonsai.
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MattA
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New Natives

Post by MattA »

One of our club members is involved with the local botanical gardens, yesterday he brought a boxful of diff natives for anyone interested. I picked up 2 for myself, a Darwinia taxifolia and a Kunzea parvifolia, both are in 6" pots with some good growth on them. I wont be doing much except potting them on & letting them grow for a few years. Both have nice small foliage, full compact growth habits and the Darwinia has beautiful flaking bark starting to form as well.

If nothing else they add to my collection of species in general tho I can see some potential for mini's in terms of growth, flowering etc its a matter of if the trunks will thicken much or not.

Has anyone else grown either of these species or varieties, all I can find is 2 lines in the koreshoff natives book, that kunzea are treated similar to callistemon.

Matt
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"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards." ~ Vernon Sanders Law
"All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own." ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goeth
"Bonsai becomes great when growers start trees they know they will never see in a pot"
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Joel
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Re: New Natives

Post by Joel »

Hi Matt,

Just be aware that Kunzea wont backshoot well, or often at all. If you take all the foliage off, you have a dead tree.

Joel
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MattA
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Re: New Natives

Post by MattA »

Thanks for that Joel. Now I know that will have to look at some other options for the kunzea. How do they take wiring & severe bending do you know? The wood while only thin looks like it could be brittle, as so many natives seem to be.
42 Mice ~Imperfection
"Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards." ~ Vernon Sanders Law
"All the knowledge I possess everyone else can acquire, but my heart is all my own." ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goeth
"Bonsai becomes great when growers start trees they know they will never see in a pot"
User avatar
Joel
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Posts: 1203
Joined: November 12th, 2008, 3:04 pm
Favorite Species: A yet to be found native
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Location: Gladstone, QLD
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Re: New Natives

Post by Joel »

I have never tried wiring one. I had a few different species in my backyard. I knew they were hard to get to shoot back but i did not want them anyway so i tried to get some backshooting for bonsai and they all died. They werent that impressive or i would have tried grafting. The wood was brittle and snapped easily.

Joel
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