Rainbow Eucalyptus for bonsai?

[Poink88]

Just wondering if anyone used this for bonsai. If it works, it would be awesome don't you think?

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/rainbow-eucalyptus?before=1347891990
View attachment 27602

 

[Stan Kengai]

Psychedelic! I wouldn't grow one because they'd attract too many hippies

Seems like they would do well in your climate, but I have no experience with them. Hopefully someone else can chime in.

 

[sean f]

Psychedelic! I wouldn't grow one because they'd attract too many hippies

Seems like they would do well in your climate, but I have no experience with them. Hopefully someone else can chime in.

You definitely wouldn't want to use mushrooms as a accent planting

 

[Poink88]

You guys are a riot. LOL

Anyway, the bark reminds me of crape myrtle and brazilian rain tree...only colored. I read they grow really fast (grown for paper production). I might purchase some seeds to play with.

 

[Dan W.]

That's awesome Dario!

It reminds me of the lacebark pine, in a way...

...

(lol.. .I did buy some seeds to play with this one...)

If we get them to grow mybe we'll have to trade a few!

 

[Poink88]

(lol.. .I did buy some seeds to play with this one...)

If we get them to grow mybe we'll have to trade a few!

That would be cool with me. Just FYI, this is a tropical tree (native to the Philippines) so you will need to give it special protection during winter. Even I will need to do so here in TX.

 

[Dan W.]

That would be cool with me. Just FYI, this is a tropical tree (native to the Philippines) so you will need to give it special protection during winter. Even I will need to do so here in TX.

I figured... That's what I do with my ficus and serissa

 

[tmmason10]

Wow I've never seen either of these trees before, very cool! Thanks for posting.

 

[coh]

Beautiful bark! Thanks for posting about these, I was completely unfamiliar with the species.

I wonder how large/old they must be before that beautiful coloration starts to show...

Chris

 

[bumblebee]

i had one for a while. And killed it with the cold. But the bark is beautiful and shows up pretty much right away. mine was about 1/2 inch trunk diameter before its demise.

Libby

 

[Poink88]

i had one for a while. And killed it with the cold. But the bark is beautiful and shows up pretty much right away. mine was about 1/2 inch trunk diameter before its demise.

Libby

Sorry to hear that but glad to get the info. Anything else (tips) you can share? If what I've read is true...you can get that size or bigger in less than 2 years from seeds (in tropical setting).

 

[edprocoat]

That is too cool. I love the bark and would love to have a small one. What are the leaves like, do they look like normal eucalyptus leaves? Do they have the same aroma?

ed

 

[jkd2572]

I want one! Eucalyptus is my streets name.

 

[bumblebee]

I don't know about growing it from seed. I got it as a seedling off ebay. Don't remember the leaves--i think they were long and willow-like. But there are more kinds of eucalyptus than ficus so there are lots of leaf shapes too. i have a lemon eucalyptus that smells like what you think of as eucalyptus and lemon mixed together. It found a tap root through the pot it was in and in 7 years now the trunk is 18-20 inches in diameter and its 50-60 feet high! In the ground of course. I have another that is in a pot waiting for me to do something with it. These are hardy in my climate so our cold doesn't hurt them at all.

Libby

 

[lackhand]

Bumping an old thread here, just wanted to see if anybody has actually bought seeds and tried these out? Eucs do very well here in AZ and I've got several different species I'm working with, but this one seems like it would be awesome. Please share any experience you might have. Thanks!

 

[edprocoat]

Dario, I was looking in to this as Bonsai several years ago, around 2007-8 and found a place in southern Florida that sells them in 3, 5, 10 gallon pots. They said they would not take any cold snaps at all, even 50 degrees causes them damage and a frost will flat kill them. they need a very humid environment. I do know they have large leaves too, I gave up as its too much to ask that any plant does not get temps below 50 degrees. The bark on these are amazing changing colors repeatedly. I found this as a Rainbow Gum tree though forgot about it until seeing this thread again.

ed

 

[edprocoat]

I could not sleep and started looking for the site I remembered in S. Florida that sold these. I found two others, the one says they can "take light frost, but not a freeze" and the other said "these trees are hardy to 20 degrees, mine has seen 20 degrees several times with no harm"
? I clearly remember the other guy emailing me that they were very tropical trees and a frost would kill them. I don't know if this is just an insane sales pitch, it would seem they must get a lot of returned dead trees. Then I looked up a few pages for info on them, including Wiki and a gardening site which seemed to agree with the guy I contacted that said no low temps at all.

ed

 

[Neli]

There was a topic in ABF and they said the bark does not get colored...and even there they need too much heat in winter.

 

[bumblebee]

Temps in the 30's killed mine. But now I have another one.
They are just too pretty not to try again. And yes, it's not the bark
that is colored, but the bare wood under the bark as it peels.

Libby.

 

[michaelj]

I'm growing some seeds right now. So far, only 5 from the entire packet (bought on eBay from India or Spain) germinated. Only 2 grew past the cotyledons. They are still extremely small and slow growing. However, I know they will survive in Southern California, because the L.A. Arboretum has an outstanding specimen.