AusBonsai

Hi All,

I saw this tree and found it quite interesting and unusual, it was put together by a mate of mine who supplies/specializes in native plants. The only info I have on this tree is that it was collected from the wild about 8-9 years ago and is a slightly different cultivar to the 'Silver Streak' commonly found in nurseries.

Unfortunately these photos don't do the tree justice...

Hah! I saw this species yesterday at a nursery and have been discussing it with Jon Chown. I believe [pup] may also be working with it, from a comment of his I read this morning.
I find it simply amazing that it has suddenly entered my consciousness from so many sources, in a single day.

Hehe it's a sign!!! I saw this tree about a year ago, and have been wanting to try one out, so far I've only had a play with some 6" stock to learn a bit more about the species as a bonsai.

This is the little guys I started... Anyone else got any more info or pics on this species?

Elias

Hah! I saw this species yesterday at a nursery and have been discussing it with Jon Chown.

That's weird, must be a message there somewhere.

Jon

Jon Chown wrote:

Hah! I saw this species yesterday at a nursery and have been discussing it with Jon Chown.

That's weird, must be a message there somewhere.

Jon

Your people are trying to call you home to planet Adenanthos. You got lost on a deep space mission to find a new source of a metal know as melaluca, the hardest substance know to the galaxy.
You got pulled into earths gravitational pull, and where engaged my your mortal foe's from the tribe of Olea europaea. You where shot down and crash landed here, with no way home...

They're a Protea family species, rather than Melaleuca. Which is odd, because they look a lot like a Melaleuca or a Callistemon.

That specimen at the head of the post looks a bit too full. Are there any thick branches on it?

The specimen I saw at the nursery was around 1800mm tall and about 50mm diameter before it forked, about 200mm from the pot surg=face.

Hector Johnson wrote:
That specimen at the head of the post looks a bit too full. Are there any thick branches on it?

Yeah the head was a little too full and really dense, the smaller branches were about as thick as a thumb, the leader is almost double in thickness ... hope this helps.
My concern with the species is backbudding, on the mature specimen there is very little of it, but this might be due to the lack of light entering the canopy, any thoughts...?

Elias

Greetings All
Good to see Adenanthos getting some attention. I've not tried it, but have often wondered about its potential for bonsai. I have seen photos from club shows in Perth with some really splendid 'trees' of Adenanthos.

Just a little background info, in case you are so interested. Adenanthos is endemic to Australia with 33 species (in 1995, I haven't checked to see if there are any name changes since then). Two species occur in south eastern Australia (SA and Vic) and 31 in south western Australia. So there is quite a potential range to choose from, if you can find them in cultivation that is. They have attractive flowers that give the plants their common names of 'jug flowers'. Most don't have common names as they are seldom seen by most people, but the commonest on the Perth Coastal plain is called 'woolly bush' and is conspicuous in the bush around the city. The species are said to range from small shrubs to small trees, so that may help, but I've no information on back budding, which will make growing a challenge if it doesnt' happen (not impossible, but hard work).

Keep up the exploration! It's a fascinating journey.

Cheers
Kunzea

G, day Guys I am growing 1 it is in the post on Proteaceae. To day I had a look at it and it does shoot on old wood!!.
I have done some thinning of foliage. When I am able to sit longer than 5 minuets I will post some pics and some info I have thus far. Pup

Pup wrote:G,day Guys I am growing 1 it is in the post on Proteaceae.

Click here to see Pup's Adenanthos post with pictures.

Regards,
Steven

I picked up 2 of these today. Since this thread is quite old, I thought I'd check in and see if people still had these growing, what they are looking like now?

Here are my 3 the semi cascade was another OH bugger, I forgot to take picture before I pruned it. The others, both before and after.

The larger informal up right was bought as Adenanthos pencil perfect, the small one just as a woolly bush, I would say probably cygnorium? as is the cascade not sure of the spelling. Cannot find my book at the moment. These trees will take a fair amount of cutting back and will reshoot. The one thing I have found is they do not like to be bare rooted, although you can be quite severe, BUT no bare rooting.

Cheers Pup

These look very attractive.
Well done pup

Pup wrote:Here are my 3 the semi cascade was another OH bugger, I forgot to take picture before I pruned it. The others, both before and after.

The larger informal up right was bought as Adenanthos pencil perfect, the small one just as a woolly bush, I would say probably cygnorium? as is the cascade not sure of the spelling. Cannot find my book at the moment.

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These trees will take a fair amount of cutting back and will reshoot. The one thing I have found is they do not like to be bare rooted, although you can be quite severe, BUT no bare rooting.

Cheers Pup

Thanks Pup,

Good to hear from you. These are the two I picked up yesterday, I think the one on the right is a hybrid, maybe a cunninghamii?

Not sure what to do with them yet. Any suggestions?

Cheers!

Hi Kelvin, hard to see what is there with all that foliage. I must admit I was waiting for others to chime in here with their advice. As I have said they do take drastic pruning. However if you want a bigger tree, grow it on, if you want a smaller tree show me the trunk and branches please.

Cheers Pup