New Zealand Christmas Tree (Pohutukawa)

[MaverickLancer]

I was walking through a nursery yesterday with my parents when one of the workers noticed my father looking at some boxwoods for bonsai practice material. He saw that we were looking for thick trunks and told us he had "something special" in the back. This turned out to be a New Zealand Christmas Tree (Metrosideros Excelsa, called Pohutukawa in Maori).

The nursery did a landscaping project about 5 months ago and took this out of the ground of an estate. They kept it because the nursery noticed a lot of bonsai people coming in recently. All of the growth in the image is from that 5 months of time.



I originally decided to pass on it since I had no experience with something that large. Later I found that my father ended up buying it for me... since it was only $30.

Has anyone had experience with these? I'm not sure if this counts as a tropical, which would suggest that I repot right now? And if so, how do these respond to root pruning?

There are about eight trunks that I can currently count (the foliage is seriously dense). I'm thinking of reducing it down to either three or five of the more predominant ones and going for a clump. First instinct says to remove the crossing trunk and go for something along the following sight lines, but it looks very contrary to how they grow in nature. I've also read that the aerial roots only come off of the main trunk, so it's difficult to really do a banyan style with this.



I'll be taking it to a workshop this weekend to hopefully get some input on direction. Any other advice is welcome!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

That is a beast! Great species to work with, and your climate is right. They have spectacular flowers in late spring or early summer, which in New Zealand is about Christmas time. I had a small one for a while, but lost it due to my neglect. They do bud back nice. I would put it in a grow box or training pot and let it make new roots for a while before making plans to style. They do bud back well on older wood, so just about any style is possible. Get familiar with how the main branches are, and then possibilities will reveal themselves.

It is very dense, hard to see anything to make design suggestions. Thin twig branches in the interior of the bush should be shortened or removed. Keep ones that could become secondary or tertiary branches, but get rid of some of the density. You might also get rid of the most unruly of the aerial roots, Unless you want to go 'Banyan Ficus' style with it. If you want it to look more like a temperate climate deciduous tree, loose most of the aerial roots. Also, the triangular shape you propose is more appropriate for conifers, deciduous tend to be broadest at the top. Invert the triangle and that's a deciduous tree. Think informal broom styles. I do see multiple trunks, a clump or forest style is possible.

Nice find, if I had a large greenhouse I would want it. But Chicago is too cold in winter.

 

[BRITEart]

Wow!!!! I think you would be nuts not to chop the top 2/3s of this thing off and do a banyan out of it. Just my opinion though... you can take it with a grain of salt. Is it as big as it looks?

Nice find friend

 

[sorce]

I was walking through a nursery yesterday with my parents when one of the workers noticed my father looking at some boxwoods for bonsai practice material. He saw that we were looking for thick trunks and told us he had "something special" in the back. This turned out to be a New Zealand Christmas Tree (Metrosideros Excelsa, called Pohutukawa in Maori).

The nursery did a landscaping project about 5 months ago and took this out of the ground of an estate. They kept it because the nursery noticed a lot of bonsai people coming in recently. All of the growth in the image is from that 5 months of time.

View attachment 77373

I originally decided to pass on it since I had no experience with something that large. Later I found that my father ended up buying it for me... since it was only $30.

Has anyone had experience with these? I'm not sure if this counts as a tropical, which would suggest that I repot right now? And if so, how do these respond to root pruning?

There are about eight trunks that I can currently count (the foliage is seriously dense). I'm thinking of reducing it down to either three or five of the more predominant ones and going for a clump. First instinct says to remove the crossing trunk and go for something along the following sight lines, but it looks very contrary to how they grow in nature. I've also read that the aerial roots only come off of the main trunk, so it's difficult to really do a banyan style with this.

View attachment 77375

I'll be taking it to a workshop this weekend to hopefully get some input on direction. Any other advice is welcome!

Wow. Score!
Pops deserves a $3o steak!

I'll be watching!

Sorce

P.s. Leeeeeeeeeooooo!

 

[JoeR]

Make the bottom a banyan and airlayer the top of seven of the trunks and make a forest... Bam! Two awesome compositions in the making.

Nice material though.

 

[sorce]

Make the bottom a banyan and airlayer the top of seven of the trunks and make a forest... Bam! Two awesome compositions in the making.

Nice material though.

Good idea. If those roots swell the base you can get some nice trees from up there!

Sorce

 

[MaverickLancer]

Thanks for all of the advice. It's a beast of a tree and since my experience is mostly with Junipers and Bougainvilleas, I've been bringing it to workshops for advice. I took it to one a few weeks ago, but the instructor was more of a conifer / elm type of guy and couldn't give me much for it. I'll be taking this to Peter Macaseib in August for his input. In the mean time, I'm keeping this at my parents' house since this would literally take up an entire half of my tiny apartment balcony, so I'll be making short trips here and there to see how much I can clean up in the mean time.

 

[fredman]

Hope you haven't cut it already. I did a road trip the weekend and took some pics of big trees in their natural state. Will put some up ASAP......

 

[fredman]

Pohutukawa thrive near the sea, easily withstanding strong wind, salt spray and drought. I've seen some growing on shear cliffs with their branches growing vertical and downwards. They grow areal roots that grows into crevasses to anchor the tree on the cliffs. Those roots also thickens the trunks when growing on level ground. The pics are from trees roughly about 100 years old. They can grow to 1000 yrs apparently.
I seen a row of 5ft thick trees that has been cut down (3ft above ground level. I should've taken a pic) a few years ago. They all have new trunks ( about 7 inches think) growing from the middle of those trunks. These trees backbud very easily.
My own tree that I had for 5 years grew a trunk of about 3 inches. I didn't like that so I cut it down to ground level. Within 2 years it had 5 new trunks growing equally around. Its now fusing well and looking more natural.
The natural growth habit is multi trunked.....

 

[MaverickLancer]

Pohutukawa thrive near the sea, easily withstanding strong wind, salt spray and drought. I've seen some growing on shear cliffs with their branches growing vertical and downwards. They grow areal roots that grows into crevasses to anchor the tree on the cliffs. Those roots also thickens the trunks when growing on level ground. The pics are from trees roughly about 100 years old. They can grow to 1000 yrs apparently.
I seen a row of 5ft thick trees that has been cut down (3ft above ground level. I should've taken a pic) a few years ago. They all have new trunks ( about 7 inches think) growing from the middle of those trunks. These trees backbud very easily.
My own tree that I had for 5 years grew a trunk of about 3 inches. I didn't like that so I cut it down to ground level. Within 2 years it had 5 new trunks growing equally around. Its now fusing well and looking more natural.
The natural growth habit is multi trunked.....

Wow! Those are some great images. After seeing their natural growth habit, I'm much more inclined to keep it a clump style. Thanks for sharing.

My workshop with Peter Macaseib is in two weeks, so I hope to get some good input and begin its initial styling. Hopefully I'll have enough growing season left!

 

[fredman]

Yeah absolutely love them. They grow naturally only in the warmer upper areas of NZ, but are planted everywhere and do well in the colder lower areas to. By Christmas time they light up whole streets and really are strikingly beautiful.
They are versatile and hardy, and can take a lot of punishment. You might even cut yours right down the middle and create two trees. One you might remove all the areal roots and keep it on the other.
It looks like you'll have to remove the lower growth on yours to see what you have.

 

[sorce]

they light up whole streets

BioLuminescence?

Sorce

 

[fredman]

Ha Ha I actually meant the whole country... well almost

 

[BubblePopScott]

I think you are long gone, but any chance of an update?

 

[fredman]

Been working on the base of mine for 10+ years now. I've chopped it twice low down to get more trunks. Starting to work on the mid section now..

 

[BubblePopScott]

nice one thanks, coming along nicely

 

[sorce]

I think you are long gone, but any chance of an update?

Been working on the base of mine for 10+ years now. I've chopped it twice low down to get more trunks. Starting to work on the mid section now..View attachment 219274

Fuck, Him too! But there he is!
Hey Fredman!

Sorce

 

[just.wing.it]

Fuck, Him too! But there he is!
Hey Fredman!

Sorce

Oh no....?

@fredman out'the woodwork!
Howdy!

 

[fredman]

Fuck, Him too! But there he is!
Hey Fredman!

Oh no....?

@fredman out'the woodwork!
Howdy!

Joh Bros...was up

 

[just.wing.it]

Joh Bros...was up

Thought the pole shift knocked you into orbit, or something....?