An arboreal curiosity

[Jubal]

An arboreal curiosity here...

SO, I bought myself a little Christmas tree thingy at Christmas. It was all wrapped round with wire, so I assumed it had been somehow strapped together out of bits of branch: it was also stuck in some kind of plaster/concrete effect stuff. In order to try and get it to last longer, I pulled out the bottom of the plaster, and did a diagonal saw cut across the botton of the two protruding branch sections I found. I then sat it in soil and add water: the theory was that it should then take up water, in a good outcome, and last better - or in a bad outcome it just wouldn't and the needles would drop fast.

Dear readers, that was not what happened.



This is the (dying back now presumably due to lack of roots and winter light, sadly, I don't think it'll last) sizeable shoot of what looks very much like some kind of willow. Which is... weird. Clearly the core stem is something like willow rather than pine, and the pine I guess is a graft of some kind? It's a really odd thing, and I'm not sure why it's been done that way at all.

Just thought I'd share and see if anyone has thoughts or comments

[Clockwork]

This is really cool

[dubsartur]

I am glad you have your own little tree!  You could try getting a larger pot for the willow shoot.

Trees are amazing.

[Glaurung]

That's a bizarre construction, and a testament to the tenacity of plants - thanks for sharing. I'd be inclined to undo the wires, and see if any of the various bits can be persuaded to develop on their own. Dependent on species they might prefer either water (mostly likely the willow) or soil to stimulate root development.

[Jubal]

I have repotted the whole construct now - some photos below showing how much root growth it's had. Bear in mind this thing started with no root at all,  it was a flat stick/stem end that I did a diagonal cut across that all the below has grown out of since about Dec 20.




Re comments: I don't think I'm going to undo the wiring since I suspect that's part of the interest in some ways: I do think it's an actual graft, not just stuff that's been wired together, since it hasn't lost any of the pine needles - which in turn probably means that all the bits need all the rest, because it'll have been getting enough energy to put out the willow shoots possibly in part through photosynthesis from the pine.

The willow shoots have sadly mostly died back, but the big top one has a couple of new tiny leaves poking off it so we'll see how it deals with the outside. I'm keeping it very wet as willow can generally put up with totally waterlogged soil.

[The Seamstress]

That's indeed quite curious and rather cool, pity it didn't survive (?)

[Jubal]

Yeah, sadly it didn't last after being repotted. I'm still none the wiser about why this was done that way.