AusBonsai

Only the left of the two main trunks is live, also a small shoot to far left.

banksia? bottlebrush?

Melaleuca hypericifolia?

Joel

Meleleuca of some sort I think, this one was about 6 feet tall but had died back this year and no longer worthy as a garden shrub. So I am implementing 'selective replant strategy' and replacing it with something healthier. The branch surviving is actually quite vigorous and soon to flower, just the rest of the plant looked sad!

Hi, by the look of the seed pods, I doubt it is hypericifolia, which has bell shaped fruit, also the habitat of hypericifolia is the NSW and Victorian Border.

Although there is the cv Ulladulla beacon which is similar but is a low growing spreading plant, that was cultivated as a garden plant, for ground cover.

Cheers Pup

Probably some dead common cheap variety, it came from the previous owners who didn't plant anything but the cheapest and toughest they could find! Should I carve back the base a bit to be closer to the remaining live trunk, or wait and see if it survives lifting first? (ie, are the outside bits prob deadwood anyway, or are they contributing something useful? some of the dead branches simply snapped off at the base, and no signs of green, pretty sure they were goners. Pity it wasn't that other large trunk still alive, maybe it could spring back with help, but there wasn't a live looking twig on it, and no noticeable green)
If it does survive, there are some flowers coming, and can get a closeup of the leaves etc. Flowers are yellowy green and smallish, if that helps
Also wondering if I could split the mass between that largish trunk and the more slender shoot, get roots on both and try for two trees for the price of one?

Greth wrote: If it does survive, there are some flowers coming, and can get a closeup of the leaves etc. Flowers are yellowy green and smallish, if that helps

Definitely not hypericifolia if the flowers are yellowy green. I thought it may be originally because of the fruit and because it is a widely cultivated species of Melaleuca due to its red flowers, similar to Callistemon.

It's up to you if you want identification or not. I realize you werent asking for it originally but i thought i had it

Joel

The most important thing is to get the thing out of seasol and into a pot and hopefully survive for now. Will post specific ID pictures if it survives, if it doesn't it was all a purely academic question anyway, haha.

Nice dig

Get it healthy and recovering well before deciding anything
Ken

Funny that it decided on a big dieback this year, we have had a better year for rain and mild temperatures than ever before. It sat thru 2 drought years with nary a drop of water in a full sun position, thin topsoil over rock. Has rarely looked very lush tho, sure I can find something which will do a better job. I have got very keen on Eremophilas and Hakeas lately, got some beauties growing up quickly in other spots.