Save The Trees

treenut

A valuable source of Bonsai material is currently being destroyed down my way.We don't have much in the way of wild stock to dig up in our region but some of the introduced trees make very nice Bonsai.One of these is the european olive which is in plague proportions around here (Adelaide, South Australia).I believe it was introduced by migrants to supply olive oil.The local government and green groups are hard at work knocking off as many as they can which is fare enough I suppose as they are causing plenty of problems for the local species.The wild olives have spread from the introduced groves and have crossed strains so even the fruit from these trees is not suitable for harvest.So they are now only good for one thing BONSAI.Here is a view of some of the offending trees after recieving a good dose of poison.

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treenut

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treenut

Here is a stump that has been drilled and filled with poison.The stumps have large tapering bases and twisting trunks making them ideal for bonsai.It looks like it has been shot !.

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treenut

Here are some trees that I have saved.I know it may look like I got greedy but just remember these trees have been sentenced to death!I have heard comments before about bonsai being cruel to trees but it can't be as cruel as having a hole drilled in you and being filled full of poison.

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treenut

As you can see they come in all shapes and sizes.There leaf size is small also.They don't mind being ripped up out of the ground either,some of these trees didn't even have any roots but all have begun to re sprout.

Jay

treenut, good save. Be careful, it is possible it may be thought that you are trying to re-introduce these guys at a latter date. I would not be to 'out there' with the fact I'm collecting these trees.

But all that aside, it is something that if we keep our eyes open, and are in the right place at the right time, we can come up with some wonderful finds. A while ago I started a thread asking if it was proper to take all the wild trees we found. Had some interesting thoughts on it. This is pretty much the other side of the scale. If we (in this case you) do not rescue some of these trees they will all be done in.

__________________
A Bonsai student living with his trees at N 44.37 W 77.49...
Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing

treenut

Jay yes I think it would definately be wrong to take all the wild trees I can, if in fact those trees are native to that area, in the same way that it is wrong to catch every fish in the sea,but we all know that and I can see what you mean about not letting the word get out about keeping feral trees in the same way that certain animals are banned from being kept as pets lest they be accidently re released into the wild! But in this case the humble olive is going to have the last laugh because as quickly as green groups kill wild trees farmers are planting more.In fact farmers around these parts have gone olive crazy planting olives in there millions driving enviromentalists to despair! for they are in the grip of an olive oil boom and are out to cash in.The current wild olive populations were started by small olive groves years ago, those olive groves since replaced by housing.The new olive craze will make those groves look puny by comparison.So in a few more decades the next generation of Bonsai olives will reappear.

Bonsainut

juliet-of-oz

treenut from adelaide south australia - you olive hound you,

im on your tail, hehehe

Juliet
adelaide, south australia

a rescuer of 'about to be bulldozed' olive stumps