Acacia cardiophylla

"Gold Lace" - Yearning for water

Age of Tree : 16 years
Trained/styled since 2001
'Gold Lace' is a prostrate cultivar of the West Wyalong wattle, thus has no 'wild' habitat. Its tortuous stem is one of its characteristic features, as is its natural lack of height growth. Here, the stem twists and turns as if looking for water in a dry landscape. The bright but soft green foliage shows that it has found what it searches for. In spring, the yellow, lightly scented blossoms are a delight.

ANBG locations: 170-226

Allocasuarina verticillata

Drooping She-Oak

Age of Tree : Unknown
Trained/styled since 2009

This tree was arboretum project stock in 2009. The aim for the future is to keep the focus on the textured trunk. Since 2015 the height has been reduced by a third to control the apex and keep the tree more centered over the pot. The 'leaves' have been trimmed to give compact branching. Perhaps, next year, if the foliage growth is allowed to extend, the tree will show the drooping nature of the foliage.

ANBG locations: 99f-216

Baeckea species

Age of Tree : 12 years
Trained/styled since 2005

Originally a weed in another bonsai pot, I am pleased with its current development into a mature-looking old tree.

ANBG locations: 43-191

Banksia integrifolia

Coastal Banksia

Age of Tree : 20 years
Trained/styled since 2009
This tree has had a long and chequered career. It originally had three trunks but two died and left a hole at the base of the trunk which caused the hollow trunk you see today. It has since been restyled into an unusual twisted, hollow, sparse foliaged tree that reflects the interesting path it has followed up till now.
ANBG locations: 37-28-99f-131

Banksia marginata

Silver Banksia

Age of Tree : 5 years
Trained/styled since 2012
The colours and textures of
B.marginata make it a very attractive plant. The multiple trunks give an impression of strength in a small plant.

ANBG locations : 67-124-230

Banksia serrata

Old Man Banksia

Age of Tree : 17 (approx) years
Trained/styled since 2009
Since acquiring this tree in 2009, I have concentrated on growing the trunk, which is now quite big and powerful. The main priority for the past two years has switched to the branch structure. This work is ongoing. The tree shows me that, while the Australian bush can be harsh, it is also very beautiful.

ANBG locations: 25-28-107-110

Banksia serrata

Saw-leaf Banksia (1)

Age of Tree : 22+ years
Trained/styled since 2000's
Although the leaves and flower spikes of the Banksia serrata don't reduce a lot they are still a very commonly used Australian native plant for bonsai. Its best features are the rough bark, the swollen base of the trunk and the new and old flower spikes on the tree at the same time.

ANBG locations: 25-28-107-110

Banksia serrata

Saw-leaf Banksia (2)

Age of Tree : 15 years
Trained/styled since 2013
The tree started as a stump of a nursery plant and has since developed quite nicely into a bonsai.

ANBG locations: 25-28-107-110

Banksi serrata

Saw-leaf Banksia (3)

Age of Tree : Unknown
Trained/styled since : Unknown
I bought this tree from Roger Hinnrichsen in 2004, already in a bonsai pot and with some styling done. The tree had been collected by Roger several years before and was part of his personal collection. He was only selling this tree because of health reasons. Over the years I have done some minor restyling (branch removal and wiring into a more formal style) and I have also tried to reduce the leaf size. Roger had told me that he collects this variety of banksia from rocky areas, insuring that there are feeder roots close the main trunk which gives them a good chance of survival in bonsai

culture although the restricted root ball has possibly caused the bulbous look to the trunk. I was attracted to this tree because of this trunk and the thought of the amount of time it had survived in such hard conditions.

ANBG locations:25-28-107-110

Brachychiton bidwillii

Little Kurrajong

Age of Tree : 5years
Trained/styled since 2012

I grew this plant from seed in Spring 2011. It was planted into a pot in November 2011. I have another tree from the same batch which always looks scraggly but which has flowered twice while this tree has never flowered.

ANBG locations 64-140-220

Callistemon sieberi

River Bottlebrush

Age of Tree : 6 years
Trained/styled since 2016
This tree has been grown for four years from Neal Padbury's (Shibui Bonsai) young stock. The pot is by Penny Davis ("Mudlark Pottery").

ANBG locations: 9-11-32-124

Eucalyptus lacrimans

Adaminaby or Weeping Snow Gum

Age of Tree : ~10 years
Trained/styled since 2014

This tree was arboretum project stock from 2009. Acquired in 2014, it was allowed to grow on for one year and since then has been styled using the clip and grow method.

ANBG locations: 15x-15q-300

Eucalyptus michaeliana

Hillgrove Spotted Gum

Age of Tree : Unknown
Trained/styled since 2009

This tree was arboretum project stock from 2009. The tree is slowly maturing. The current aim is to thicken the lower two branches and to further develop the two tiered canopy. The bark was helped to shed this year which has given the trunk a uniform appearance rather than drawing attention to the two stages of trunk growth.

ANBG locations: 34-43

Eucalyptus nicholii

Narrow-leafed Black Peppermint

Age of Tree : 29 years
Trained/styled since 2007
This tree was bought as very small nursery stock in the late 1980s, with the original intention of developing it as a shohin. In 2002 it was potted into a larger pot and allowed to 'grow-on' for a number of years before its current styling in 2007.

ANBG location: 195

Eucalyptus nicholii

Peppermint Gum

Age of Tree : Unknown
Trained/styled since 1996
This treeFound at South Canberra Dump in the Revolve section in the summer of 1995, this tree was in very little soil and full of disease (mealy bug and sooty mildew). Over the following months I removed the pests, re-potted, cut back and trained a new leader. It was kept as an experiment, as I was unsure how a eucalypt would react to bonsai techniques. In 1999 I potted it into a bonsai pot and continued shaping it into a gum tree style. After the 2001 show I carved the lower and mid sections of the tree and then re-potted. Since that repot I have re-potted every 3 years into an Australian-made pot by Pat Kennedy. Over the years I have had a battle with die back and have lost some of the original branches. Generally when this happens the tree goes through a redesign utilizing old branches and new

shoots which add more character to the tree. In the summer of 2015 I cut the tree down to 70cm leaving no foliage. This triggers regrowth (much the same as fire does) which was trained over that summer and the summer of 2016 resulting in what you see today.

ANBG location: 195

Eucalyptus polyanthemos

Red Box

Age of Tree : Unknown
Trained/styled since 2003

This tree came from the Queanbeyan Council nursery as part of left over stock trees. It was cut down to the first active branch to stimulate growth further down the trunk, then training this new growth started the following summer. The roots were reduced over 3 summers until the tree was small enough to fit into a bonsai pot. It has been difficult to reduce the leaf size and at times they have been as large as 8cm in diameter. The round shape is the juvenile form and as the branch elongates the leaves become more elliptic. As we need to keep the tree small it will probably never get the adult leaf.

ANBG location: 38-62-217-311

Eucalyptus scoparia

Wallingarra White Gum

Age of Tree : Unknown
Trained/styled since 2009

This tree was arboretum project stock from 2009. Last year, I learnt the tree's habit was to grow multiple branches and then drop some. This was timely knowledge, as this summer the tree looked as if it was going to ‘drop’ the second main branch. I selectively trimmed all the early summer growth from the largest branch/trunk to encourage new foliage on the second branch/trunk.

ANBG location: 19-44-328

Eucalyptus viminalis

Ribbon Gum

Age of Tree : Unknown
Trained/styled since 2009

This tree was arboretum project stock from 2009. Since 2015, the tree has been kept tall. The leaves are a challenge for a bonsai tree as they are large and the new growth is elongated. In its natural setting the tree is erect, tall and is a favourite of koalas. The upper bark peels in ribbons and collects in the branches and on the ground. Will this be achievable in a bonsai?

ANBG location: 64-111-198

Ficus rubiginosa

Port Jackson Fig (1)

Age of Tree : 12+ years
Trained/styled since 2012

In this bonsai display the Port Jackson fig is acting as a subsidiary plant to the Banksia serrata beside it. In nature the Port Jackson fig is a huge tree that towers over most trees near it.

ANBG location: 64-145-216-219

Ficus rubiginosa

Port Jackson Fig (2)

Age of Tree : 37 years
Trained/styled since 1990

This tree was a cutting from a much larger tree of my mother's. It was neglected for many years. In 2000 it was restyled and then again in 2016 to better reflect the shape of the mature tree. This year, possibly because of the humid weather, it has put out aerial roots for the first time, which may eventually change the appearance of the tree significantly.

ANBG location: 64-145-216-219

Ficus rubiginosa

Port Jackson Fig "Little Ruby"

Age of Tree : 22 years
Trained/styled since 1995

This 'Little Ruby' was purchased in 1995, as a small bonsai starter from Ray Nesci Bonsai Nursery. Since then the tree has been repotted in a larger pot as necessary. Over the years, styling has been of the clip and grow method. In autumn 2008, the original apex died and a side branch has taken over as the main apex. The tree was potted up into a Pat Kennedy pot in 2006. The tree was over-potted to encourage more growth. In late February 2010, the tree was completely defoliated and new growth was slow to appear and remained small for that year.

little ruby

Some pruning was done early in February 2011 to shorten the branches and in December 2014 to thin out the foliage. In December 2016 it was pruned back to two leaves in some areas and thinned out in others. The tree is now in proportion to the pot. A repot will be in next season's maintenance.

ANBG location: 64-145-216-219

Grevillea australis

Southern Grevillea
(upright form)

Age of Tree : 14 years
Trained/styled since 2006

Grevillea australis is the only grevillea native to Tasmania. It is a very variable species but all forms have delicate white flowers in summer.

ANBG location: 28-99-131-230

Grevillea iaspicula

Grevillea

Age of Tree : 6 years
Trained/styled since 2015

Found naturally at only six sites around the Lake Burrinjuck and Wee Jasper areas, G. iaspicula is endangered in the wild. A low-growing shrub, it is an attractive garden plant and has so far been amenable to bonsai culture.

ANBG location: 24-221-2401

Grevillea obtusifolia

"Gingin Gem"

Age of Tree : 5 years
Trained/styled since 2016

If this tree was a puppy in a pet shop, I would have to take it home. It always makes me smile.

ANBG location: 23-24-99f

Kunzea ericoides

Burgan

Age of Tree : 100+ years
Trained/styled since 1984

This Kunzea was old when it was collected 33 years ago. The basic trunk structure has remained the same since that time. In January 2013 it was restyled from a windswept to a cascade tree. It responds well to heavy pruning and repotting.

ANBG location: 11-12-124-1311

Leptospermum
laevigatum

Coastal Tea Tree

Age of Tree : 18 years
Trained/styled since 2010

In the wild, coastal tea trees may be exposed to harsh conditions, especially strong winds, that sculpt the trees into interesting shapes. This tree aims to capture some of that harshness.

ANBG location: 12-99-180

Leptospermum lanigerum

Woolly Tea Tree

Age of Tree : 18 years
Trained/styled since 2005

One of my early attempts to create a tree that captured the characteristics of a tree in the wild. I like the rugged appearance and unconventional form of this tree.

ANBG location: 12-13-143-237

Leptospermum morrisonii

Tea Tree "White Opal"

Age of Tree : 18 years
Trained/styled since 2002

The unusual structure of this tree and close relationship between the trunks and major branches suggests two trees dancing together.

ANBG location: 9-12-16

Melaleuca species

Paperbark

Age of Tree : Unknown
Trained/styled since 2015

This tree was nursery stock purchased in 2015. The growth pattern responds well to shaping by 'clip and grow'.

ANBG location: 126-143-224

Melaleuca incana

Honey Myrtle "Sea Mist"

Age of Tree : 5 years
Trained/styled since 2013

The soft silver-grey leaves and creamy white flowers are a delight in spring.

ANBG location: 11-12-123

Melaleuca styphelioides

Prickly Paperbark (1)

Age of Tree : 14 years
Trained/styled since 2008

This tree was purchased from a nursery chain and didn't like the first few Canberra winters it experienced. I find now that it manages quite well with a northern aspect, quite close to the shelter (warmth) of the house. The 'weather facing' foliage turns quite maroon during the colder months while the protected foliage remains green. The whole tree reverts to green about mid-spring.

ANBG location: 11-12-243

Melaleuca styphelioides

Prickly Paperbark (2)

Age of Tree : 41 years
Trained/styled since 1981

One of my first bonsai, this tree has improved over the years as the branches developed greater definition and character.

ANBG location: 11-12-201-243

Nothofagus cunninghamii

Myrtle Beech

Age of Tree : Unknown
Trained/styled since 2016

This tree was bought for a workshop at last year's convention in Hobart. I chose this one because I liked the scar and the movement of the trunk. It lost about two thirds of its branches and foliage in the workshop and I did not expect it to survive the Canberra winter. However it has rallied and is beginning to show some promise.

ANBG location: 66-67-142-305

Sannantha virgata

Dwarf Baeckea

Age of Tree : ~ 20 years
Trained/styled since 2011

This tree was rescued from a neighbour's garden in 2009 and took about 2 years to return to a degree of health that I felt was sufficient to begin to style it. It had a natural windswept habit as it was being 'crowded out' from above by a callistemon, so I went with that. It has been in this pot since spring 2012

ANBG location: None

Syzygium australe

Lillypilly

Age of Tree : 11 years
Trained/styled since 2009

This tree was a gift in November 2008 and styling has been mainly by the clip and grow method. The only wiring done was to place the lower branches. The tree was last repotted in January 2012 into a pot created by Roger Hnatiuk. There may still be time for a repot this summer. Continual pruning has resulted in the tree before you. This is the first time that flowers have been produced. Can you spot the buds?

ANBG location: 131-147-313

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