African Lilac

[Jester]

Hi guys, does anyone have in their posession, an African Lilac? (Ehretia Rigida) I don't know how rare they as Bonsai but if you have a photo, "please" post it. I saw a massive one at Darling Harbour in Sydney the other day in the chinese gardens and was struck by the beautiful flowers.I just could'nt get close enough to get a half decent photo. Any special notes on care? Soil Types? Pruning?

 

[rockm]

"Ehretia" is "fukien tea" and extremely common bonsai material used mostly by mass producers of bonsai plants.

 

[Jester]

Hi rockm, I think you will find that the larged leafed Fukien Tea is Carmona Macrophylla and the smalled leafed Fukien Tea is Ehretia Microphylla. The African Lilac or "Deurmekaarbos" is Ehretia Rigida. Interestingly, both the Fukien Tea and the African Lilac belong to the same family of "Boraginaceae". The word Ehretia prefixes at least 30 different species.

Ehretia alba Retief & A.E.van Wyk
Ehretia amoena Klotzsch
Ehretia anacua
Ehretia angolensis Baker
Ehretia bakeri Britten
Ehretia cortesia Gottschling
Ehretia capensis Meisn. ex C.Krauss
Ehretia coerulea Gürke
Ehretia cymosa Thonn.
Ehretia dicksonii Hance
Ehretia glandulosissima Verdc.
Ehretia janjalle Verdc.
Ehretia kaessneri Vaupel
Ehretia laevis Roxb.
Ehretia microcalyx Vaupel
Ehretia namibiensis Retief & A.E.van Wyk
Ehretia obtusifolia Hochst. ex A.DC.
Ehretia rigida (Thunb.) Druce - Deurmekaarbos (Southeastern Africa)
Ehretia rosea Gürke
Ehretia scrobiculata Hiern
Ehretia tinifolia L.
Ehretia trachyphylla C.H.Wright
Ehretia uhehensis Gürke
Ehretia violacea

 

[snobird]

I think Charles Ceronio who lives in South Africa owns one or more. He will know best how deal with them.

 

[Jester]

THanks Snobird

I just sent him an email. If he can't help me no-one can