Looks bonsaiable

Dalmat

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You don't have to buy something when in nursery and especially when you google the species and
results not showing bonsai by its name.
Well known good advices neglected here. I simply saw trunks and new shoots from old wood and I said
why not ?, Not to mention discount.
So let's give it a shot, Metrosideros excelsa

metrosideros-p 004.jpg

metrosideros-p 007.jpg

Some mess in pot

metrosideros-s 002.jpg

Find out later that in nature it throws some kind of aerial roots from a bottom across the soil in search for soil, ok selfgrafting roots , another plus.metrosideros-s 010.jpg

005.jpg
 

Cypress187

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Very cool bark, i hope the leaves reduce for u.
 

Cypress187

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Ditto, but keep in mind you can always kill it faster than normal, (yes, there are ways). Or not, and maintain a lifelong relationship with it?
Yeah, or make a hedge with it :)
 

fredman

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That is the New Zealand Christmas tree. Beautiful big tree that prefers growing in coastal areas. In high summer its covered with red flowers. It grows multi trunked. Some of the aerial roots stiffens in time to form the new trunks. They are very tough trees that can take punishment. Lots of them grows out of rock crevasses hanging down from cliffs overlooking the sea. They love the sea spray.
If the tree is healthy it can be chopped even at ground level. It will grow new shoots that can be grown into multi trunks. The leaves will reduce some as the roots are contained. Its name means "like steel" and that they are. Wire before the young wood hardens. Clip and grow works better on them to create movement in the trunk and canopy.
Here is pics of them as they grow naturally.
2015-12-27 17.27.49.jpg 2015-08-03 12.04.32-1.jpg 2015-08-03 11.28.53.jpg 2015-08-02 12.25.33-1.jpg 2015-08-03 11.39.03-1.jpg
 

fredman

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it throws some kind of aerial roots from a bottom across the soil in search for soil
This is incorrect. They don't throw across the bottom....;)
They grow roots in the tree that extends downwards.
2015-08-03 12.07.21-1.jpg
 

Dalmat

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http://www.bonsaiforbeginners.com/kermadec-pohutukawa.html

Just one if a fee links that came up when I googled.
Thanks found it and that's pretty much only thing about it as bonsai.

i hope the leaves reduce for u.
There are methods for sure, although I saw more common bonsai species with similar size leaves or even bigger .

That is the New Zealand Christmas tree. Beautiful big tree that prefers growing in coastal areas. In high summer its covered with red flowers. It grows multi trunked. Some of the aerial roots stiffens in time to form the new trunks. They are very tough trees that can take punishment. Lots of them grows out of rock crevasses hanging down from cliffs overlooking the sea. They love the sea spray.
If the tree is healthy it can be chopped even at ground level. It will grow new shoots that can be grown into multi trunks. The leaves will reduce some as the roots are contained. Its name means "like steel" and that they are. Wire before the young wood hardens. Clip and grow works better on them to create movement in the trunk and canopy.
Here is pics of them as they grow naturally.
View attachment 96170 View attachment 96171 View attachment 96175 View attachment 96177 View attachment 96178

Then it is soooo bonsaiable ,great. Thanks.
In next episode,
another New Zealand native

002.jpg


.
 

Dalmat

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This is incorrect. They don't throw across the bottom....;)
They grow roots in the tree that extends downwards.
View attachment 96181
Found this at that link above
To colonize rocky shorelines, the pohutukawa sends its roots along the ground surface, creeping over the bare rocks in search of pockets of soil. The rata often germinates high in the branches of other trees then sends aerial roots down to the ground, eventually surround and “strangling” the host tree. Unlike the popular Ficus species, Metrosideros species usually do not send out aerial roots from the branches to produce banyan style trees; they send out aerial roots from the base of the trunk.

That's why I mentioned it.
 

Geo

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Everything is bonsai-able, it's only hard to win contests with the wrong species, if not impossible.

So whose fault is that.Many people around the world are looking for as yet unbonzaied(?) species.That will not change,especially in the tropics,where 2/3 of the world's trees call home.
 

fredman

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That's why I mentioned it.
Only some trees grows aerial roots. Its mainly a way to grow new trunks, but if the tree needs nutrients, it sends the roots into crevasses looking for soil....
I took this pic two weeks ago while fishing. This Pohutukawa tree is about 30 years old (according to a local). Its growing on a bare rock in the shallows. The rock is totally surrounded by the sea. The only nutrients it gets is from rain water. In stormy weather with a high tide the seawater frequently washes over the rock...This is one VERY tough tree !!!
2016-02-06 14.14.52.jpg 2016-02-06 14.15.25.jpg 2016-02-06 14.15.49.jpg 2016-02-06 14.15.59.jpg
Here is another one on a different rock, also isolated from land. Its about the same age the old man said.
2016-02-06 14.18.20.jpg 2016-02-06 14.17.42.jpg
 

fredman

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This is mine. Its about 10 years old. I cut it down at ground level about 6 years ago because it only grew one trunk. It actually does that in its immature stage. The multi trunks only grows later on as it ages.
When I chopped it down it, grew several side shoots that I now train as trunks. I only use the clip and grow on it, because a branch divides itself into two and I remove one. That works great for movement...
IMAG0153.jpg IMAG0156.jpg
Here is some more info on it...
http://www.projectcrimson.org.nz/images/file/Fact Sheets/Fact-Sheet-Pohutukawa.pdf

The Keremedec one above that Darlene mentioned, is the variegated form of it....Beautiful but slower growing and not so hardy.
 
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