Tassie Mountain Gem

[tanglefoot]

I couldn't resist taking a shot of this cute little sub-alpine bonsai. It's Trochocarpa thymifolia, from the Epacridaceae (Heath) family, and is endemic to Tasmania. It only grows as a shrub, but probably can get quite old up in the mountains. (Also quite cold up in the mountains!) It's very slow growing and has tiny leaves, pendulous pink flowers as shown, which will be followed by small mauve berries (like tiny bunches of grapes!).

It seems to be quite happy being potted, and like other members of the heath family, requires infrequent (but careful) rootpruning of its fine root system. Maybe every 3 - 5 years. This baby is 7 years old and 15cm high and wide. It fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. It's in a Mirkwood pot. Of course.

I have another one which is 12 - 15 years old, so I think they're quite reliable. Initially I thought that Australian plants in the Epacridaceae family would be tricky for bonsai, but my experiences so far suggest otherwise. I don't think you can be too brutal with the root system though....gently does it!

003.jpg

[Glenda]

Hi Tanglefoot,

Did you collect this plant, or is it nursery stock? If you collected it, where did you collect it from?

I grew up in Hobart, and now live in Nth Qld. I returned to Tassy for New Year with my husband and son who had never been there. The flora down there made me feel very nostalgic - and I fell in love again with some of the beautiful maples that are very difficult to grow here, but we have great figs and other tropicals you wouldn't easily grow down there. Each place has its pros and cons I guess

Glenda

[tanglefoot]

Yep Glenda, unfortunately we can only live in one place at a time. Unless you're a grey nomad
and that probably precludes keeping a bonsai colection! It's lovely to visit though isn't it!

The Trochocarpa was cutting grown, at Plants of Tasmania Nursery.....I reckon probably from stock
from Mt Wellington.....Hobart's big hill at 1200m +. It's a different world up there! Often colder
than Macquarie Island. And the complete opposite of N.Qld!

[Glenda]

Yep Glenda, unfortunately we can only live in one place at a time. Unless you're a grey nomad
and that probably precludes keeping a bonsai colection! It's lovely to visit though isn't it!

The Trochocarpa was cutting grown, at Plants of Tasmania Nursery.....I reckon probably from stock
from Mt Wellington.....Hobart's big hill at 1200m +. It's a different world up there! Often colder
than Macquarie Island. And the complete opposite of N.Qld!

We were on Mt Wellington on New Year's Eve when it was 40C! Quite a new experience. I remember going up there as a child. I lived in Tassie from the age of 5 until 12. Lived in Goodwood almost opposite the show grounds in Goodwood, and attended Goodwood Primary and Cosgrove High schools.

I'm not quite rich enough for the grey nomad set although my students tell me I am grey enough! Retirement is moving closer though. My family also loved Tasmania, but I don't think my husband could stand the winters - he hates the ones here!

I got particularly nostalgic over the alpine tea trees - brought home some seeds. Although we have some leptospermums here, not holding out much hope of these growing. Haven't planted them.

Glenda

[Glenda]

Edit - somehow it posted twice, so I deleted it!