Australian Native Bonsai

This tree was obtained as young nursery stock in 2002 and grown in the ground for four years with some cutting back during this time.
Australian native bonsai. The featured image above a coastal tea tree leptospermum laevigatum is one of lee s australian native bonsai. Continual pinching back of new growth has kept the foliage to a rounded shape. Yes they grow in a sunburned country but a lot of them like a lot of water and it is often necessary to keep some species in water trays especially in the summer. Australian native plants as bonsai 2006.
Australian native plants as bonsai posted on march 17 2014 on the weekend of 15 16 march 2014 the 10th national exhibition of australian plants as bonsai was held at the australian national botanic gardens in canberra. The tree was grown on in a large pot. However things have changed as this year s aabc convention australian natives breaking through the bonsai ceiling hosted by the victorian native bonsai club clearly proved. It came up near my pond.
To make a bonsai using an australian native such as a callistemon captain cook is very easy to do. The first thing to bring out the best features of an australian native is to expose the top 3 inches of roots and branch that are usually below the soil for a lovely gnarled look. Melaleuca styphelioides as bonsai this is of course just one of the great diversity of melaleuca species native to many parts of australia. The designs that i work to are designs that look like australian plants in my case rather than a japanese plant here s an example of a native bonsai.
Photographed by jonathan phoon. This callitris glaucophylla was collected during a dig following the australian associated bonsai club national seminar held in wagga wagga new south wales in 1999. Its growth form varies from dense compact shrubs in lowland regions to small trees in mountain areas. B marginata is native to southeastern australia and is the most frost hardy banksia.
Others of this genus vary widely in their growth habits leaf shapes bark characteristics and most of these other species are also readily grown as bonsai. More will be featured at later dates. It was dug from the ground in october 1999 about 6. Leaves are also variable.
This tree was a present from the birds. The next stage is to tease the roots.