Wired together a bunch of hibiscus because why not

[Likebull1]

So this was more a project of pure boredom, curiosity, and too many hibiscus seedlings.
I was clearing out the beds and there must have been about 100 of these suckers so I decided to save a handful and mess around with them with a beer to relax after a day of weeding.



There wasn't much rhyme or reason to the configuration. Remember it was just for fun.
I wrapped them all up tightly with grafting tape then wired them together randomly to hopefully get some unusable bulging. I threw it into a crappy nursery pot and wired it to the bottom. 06/01/2024



After a couple weeks every leaf dropped and it looked not too happy but I know these things are resilient.

It leafed out in no time so I decided to put it through some more abuse and split up the top and wrap it higher to form 2 "branches"
07/19/2024


I noticed some of the leaves on the inside weren't getting enough light so I said to myself...more abuse? I kinda wanted to see how much meddling these can take.

I decided to throw it in a pond basket with a better soil mix and then use a few guy wires to spread the branches out to let more light in. I seriously could not believe that roots were completely filling the pot!
I swear this will be the last time I touch it for the year if it survives. Hopefully by mid summer next year everything will be fused together. 08/09/2024


(I don't know that I did an unbelievable amount of things wrong lol)

 

[Zac]

I have a tree in my flower bed and yes they pop up everywhere around tree and other places in the yard. The tree was big and a storm broke it at the ground and it was laying on the ground only a small part of the trunk was still attached. It provided shade to some plants so I propped it up with a crutch board and it's still alive 5 years later so they are resistant.

 

[Likebull1]

I have a tree in my flower bed and yes they pop up everywhere around tree and other places in the yard. The tree was big and a storm broke it at the ground and it was laying on the ground only a small part of the trunk was still attached. It provided shade to some plants so I propped it up with a crutch board and it's still alive 5 years later so they are resistant.

I am always surprised at the abuse they can put up with. They're right up there with a lot of the honeysuckle I mess with.
At this point I kinda hope it lives just so I can see what kinda mess I made haha

 

[Faisal Ahmad]

Nice, this technique can apply too in fiscus family or Premna,

I have my premna like this

 

[Cadillactaste]

I braided some and planted the results in my landscape...they have never fused together in the years planted in the ground. One tree did die off though...

I've also a tropical variety house potted tree. Also braided...older than the one in the ground. Also...never fused together...also one trunk died back. Most peculiar both braided trunks...lost one tree later in development.

Wish you the best. I hate being a negative Nancy. But the tropical one in the house. I've had... 20 years or so... bought it when we built the additional. It's never fused trunks.

 

[Likebull1]

Nice, this technique can apply too in fiscus family or Premna,

I have my premna like this

View attachment 562104

I always wondered how Prema got like that. I thought it just grew that way lol

 

[Likebull1]

I braided some and planted the results in my landscape...they have never fused together in the years planted in the ground. One tree did die off though...

I've also a tropical variety house potted tree. Also braided...older than the one in the ground. Also...never fused together...also one trunk died back. Most peculiar both braided trunks...lost one tree later in development.

Wish you the best. I hate being a negative Nancy. But the tropical one in the house. I've had... 20 years or so... bought it when we built the additional. It's never fused trunks.

Yea....I definitely have an image on my head of me unwrapping them next season and falling completely apart.
I did expose the cambium around the lowest section so maybe a few will fuse there. Who knows

 

[Cadillactaste]

Yea....I definitely have an image on my head of me unwrapping them next season and falling completely apart.
I did expose the cambium around the lowest section so maybe a few will fuse there. Who knows

Best or luck to ya. I didn't do that. As it wasn't my goal to get them to fuse. But...two trees that had a tree die off. Did make me pause. Why did both drop an entire trunk?