Wollemi pine bonsai?

Waltron

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As anyone ever heard of a Wollemi pine? My friend just bought a house and he has 2 of them in his yard. Apparently they were thought to be extinct until somewhat recently. It looks very similar to a redwood, bald cypress type tree and foliage. The lady he bought the house from refers to them as the dinosaur tree. I've done very little research on them but did come across this website.
www.wollemipine.com/science.php

His are both growing happily here in southern Michigan, one put on well over a foot of growth. I'm going to try to take a few cuttings next year and maybe eventually he'll. Have some pine cones. Initial search seems to show they are rare and expensive. Curious if anyone else has even heard of them. IMG_2054.JPG


IMG_2047.JPG IMG_2049.JPG IMG_2050.JPG
 

Starfox

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I have wanted one of these for a while, not sure they can take the Spanish climate though.

This thread may or may not help, you need to sign up to see th pics but they are a good bunch and it is likely you would find someone who knows more.
http://www.ausbonsai.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=95&t=3408
 

Waltron

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interesting, think ill try to take a few cuttings and see if I can get them to root in my grow tent this fall, then try again this spring, and hope this thing makes some pine cones eventually.
 

Waltron

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http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2004/wollemia-nobilis.html

"The cultivation of the Wollemi Pine is similar to other conifer species. Plants can be grown from seed or struck from tip cuttings. If growing plants from cuttings then a strong breeding hormone is recommended (5,000-10,000 gms/litre) to promote root growth. Striking plants can be placed in cells or tube pots filled with river sand. Most plants will take six months to strike but this is variable depending on type of stock plant, season, and growing environment. Once the plant has struck, pot it in a standard conifer mix (70-80% pine bark; 20% river sand) and water it in accordance to the time of year. An interesting note about striking the Wollemi Pine is that cuttings taken from the top of the tree will produce a vertical growing plant, whilst cuttings taken from the bottom of the tree will produce horizontal growth."
 

rockm

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Gotta agree that that is Dawn redwood. Both Wollemi pine and Dawn Redwood have similar backstories and your friendmay have confused the two. Dawn redwood was rediscovered in China shortly after WW II and is a unique species only related to Bald Cypress and the west coast redwood and sequoia.

Wollemi pine foliage
wollemi foliage.jpg
 

sorce

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Wollemi confused and intrigued?

Yes.

Sorce
 

PiñonJ

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Looks like Dawn Redwood to me, too, but here are some Wollemia images from Encyclopedia of Life. The foliage does have some similarity in appearance.
IMG_4399.JPG IMG_4400.JPG IMG_4401.JPG IMG_4402.JPG
 

Redwood Ryan

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Given your location in Michigan, a Wollemi Pine would NOT survive your winter months, far too cold. It's a Dawn Redwood.
 

KansasLuke

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Hello anyone help? Im new and struggling finding the way to create a new post?
 

Bonsai Nut

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Hello anyone help? Im new and struggling finding the way to create a new post?

LOL you just posted :)

To start a new thread, click on the tab that says "Forums", then chose the best forum for your subject. Click on the forum, and when it opens up you will see a page with a bunch of threads already started. At the top of that page (in the upper right) will be a button that says "Post New Thread". Click it :)
 

sorce

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Hello anyone help? Im new and struggling finding the way to create a new post?

I'm not your father...

And I doubt Toto is your dog!

Welcome to Crazy!

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Waltron

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That is 100% a Dawn Redwood.


ahh controversy I love it. the thing is my friend didn't confuse it the lady he bought the house from was a bit of a tree nut, and it would be her, who purchased the two trees who would have confused them, but I dont agree with either of you. not mad about it or anything, but I've seen dawns in Michigan. several of them. not seen this before. I can figure out a way to either prove its a dawn or a wollomie, next time im over there. it really doesn't get below 10 degrees here very often, for very long. it does, but not much.

(23 to 113°F) and trials in the USA and Japan have indicated that it will survive temperatures as cold as -12°C (10.4 °F).
 

Waltron

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these photos below are from the net of wollomi pine.
ill get more photos, it says they dont do the cone thing till about october so hoping next time I go over there, the tree will be getting sexy so we can put an affirmative id on it.

DSC_7159_3.jpg
DSC_25444_3.jpg
 

Waltron

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Looks like Dawn Redwood to me, too, but here are some Wollemia images from Encyclopedia of Life. The foliage does have some similarity in appearance.
View attachment 156372 View attachment 156373 View attachment 156374 View attachment 156375

that bark must be the fully mature bark. my friends tree, the one I posted, must only be 10 or 11 years old. Basically every tree has juvenile bark that differs from old mature bark. I think everyone on this forum is aware of that fact. glad you posted it though first close up image of the mature bark I've seen
 

Starfox

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Actually I think it is the bark that gives it away in this case, the reason the bark is so distinctive is the way it grows.

upload_2017-8-11_15-36-49.jpegupload_2017-8-11_15-44-12.jpeg

This one is an 11 yo tree in the UK
upload_2017-8-11_15-45-6.jpeg
 

AlainK

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I saw several Wollemi pines, there's a small one (about 5 feet) in a public garden in my town, but with no name-tag: probably because they don't want a vandal to take it away. The true tree enthusiasts will recognise it, but would never touch it.

From what I saw, the leaves are quite big, and the branch position very symetrical, almost like mathematics.

To me, not a good species for bonsai, but if ever someone creates a bonsai that looks like the real tree, they sould be awarded a merit, a gold medal ;)
 

Starfox

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To me, not a good species for bonsai, but if ever someone creates a bonsai that looks like the real tree, they sould be awarded a merit, a gold medal ;)

There are some examples in the link I gave to ausbonsai and elsewhere on the forum. Good conversation too.
Anything is possible.
 
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