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Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 2nd, 2013, 1:05 pm
by Pup
First of this unfortunately is not my tree, it belongs to a student/ president of the club.

It was posted here with a foreigner last week it has a few more flowers now, I thought to show it again, and remind people there are many Kunzea's which are very under used as Bonsai.

I have seen K, ambigua and K, baxteria and this one K, pulchella but no others. Just wondering if any members have some growing?.

Cheers Pup
EOS 650D0763.JPG

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 2nd, 2013, 1:27 pm
by dansai
I have one as a young cutting from a local native grower. Unsure what species. I'm away at the moment but will post a pic when I return home. After seeing the one you've posted Pup I will be looking out for some more.

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 2nd, 2013, 2:01 pm
by Jason
I've got a Baxteria growing and awaiting its initial styling, nothing to call home about, but there are a few differet options I can go with :) has been sitting there for nearly a year waiting for that styling though... just can't decide which direction to take

It was the bark, and nice small flowers that got my interest at first, thought it'd work perfectly as a bonsai

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 2nd, 2013, 8:31 pm
by shibui
I've been trialling a local species - Kunzea parvifolia. it has really fine foliage and purple pompom flowers. So far seem to be successful in pots but not quality bonsai yet.
Also what I believe is K. ambigua prostrate with fluffy white flowers and K. 'Badja Carpet'

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 2nd, 2013, 8:42 pm
by Rolf
Pup wrote:First of this unfortunately is not my tree, it belongs to a student/ president of the club.

It was posted here with a foreigner last week it has a few more flowers now, I thought to show it again, and remind people there are many Kunzea's which are very under used as Bonsai.

I have seen K, ambigua and K, baxteria and this one K, pulchella but no others. Just wondering if any members have some growing?.

Cheers Pup
EOS 650D0763.JPG

Hi Pup

I do grow K, baxteria and K, pulchella but still small!! :cool:

Cheers
Rolf

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 2nd, 2013, 10:17 pm
by Boics
I love this tree.

Looks so cool and elegant!

Is it not Kunzea Baxteri rather than Baxteria?

I've one of these (Baxteri) just putting on a bit of bulk right now.
Very very poor prospects but I hope to make something of it.
This tree is particularly inspiring!

Cheers,

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 2nd, 2013, 11:36 pm
by kcpoole
I have collected several of what I am told is Kunzea, last year from a building site before the buldozers moved in.
Have no idea of the variety, but they a have fine leaves and great bark.
Quite sizeable trunks on a few of them.

Easy to collect, but do not shoot back if no foliage on the branch. Ii you need to shorten them, then you will have to do so gradually rather than cutting back hard to bare wood.
They take wire well before the wood lignified, and quite brittle once the wood ages a little.

Ken

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 3rd, 2013, 5:39 am
by Damian Bee
A prostrate Kunzea ambigua was one of my first, unfortunately being one of my first it died :palm: but when it flowered it looked awesome.
I now have some new ones as well as several Kunzea ericoides, (which may have been renamed :lost:).
I reckon you could ask this question of many genus until growers come out of the woodwork :palm:

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 3rd, 2013, 12:21 pm
by Jason
shibui wrote:I've been trialling a local species - Kunzea parvifolia. it has really fine foliage and purple pompom flowers. So far seem to be successful in pots but not quality bonsai yet.
Also what I believe is K. ambigua prostrate with fluffy white flowers and K. 'Badja Carpet'
Curious to see how you go with it, I've seen a few pics of the Parvifolia, but wasn't sure how it'd look as a bonsai as the leaves looked a bit 'sparse' (in the pics I saw). The flowers look awesome though, which is why it caught my eye :)

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 3rd, 2013, 3:06 pm
by boom64
Hi Pup,
I have gone a little crazy collecting Kunzea lately. Beautiful natives, I am not sure what species I have?? I know they bare white flowers.
Below are some of the collection
I potted up two last year and will do a few more this year.
They all could do with a haircut :D
Cheers John

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 3rd, 2013, 4:43 pm
by Pup
Boics wrote:I love this tree.

Looks so cool and elegant!

Is it not Kunzea Baxteri rather than Baxteria?

I've one of these (Baxteri) just putting on a bit of bulk right now.
Very very poor prospects but I hope to make something of it.
This tree is particularly inspiring!

Cheers,

You are right it is Baxteri, sorry about that.

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 3rd, 2013, 4:47 pm
by Pup
G,day John going through my book the tree that is most probably yours is K, ambigua.

The foliage looks right and also the area where you live, also the colour of the flowers is also right on for this species.

Cheers Pup

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 3rd, 2013, 8:08 pm
by Damian Bee
From memory, K.ambigua has two forms over here.
The prostrate form which is found growing down at Wilson's Prom and surrounding areas and an upright bushy form :reading:

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 4th, 2013, 8:35 pm
by Boics
Some very nice natural specimens there John.
Very good prospects among them I feel.

Re: Kunzea the forgotten native

Posted: October 4th, 2013, 10:00 pm
by Rory
Yeah I hadn't heard of this species until I visited a nursery a few months ago and bought a starter to try my hand at it. The teeny tiny leaves and the description is what inspired me.