I like the Mulberry tree, but it is deciduous and can be messy with leaf and fruit drop. There must be many options to suit you. My knowledge is limited, but you'd probably be better off visiting a good nursery (is Fairhill up your way? and there are probably other good ones) with a paper and pencil. This is what I do - I go through all the plants at the nursery, read the labels, and jot down names of all which appeal, then ask the gardenwebbers for their opinions and experiences with each plant. I also check google for additional info. You may get also get ideas if you type in rainforest plants/ or rainforest pioneer plants ... I prefer to see what is available for purchase than to search for something which sounds great but is impossible to find.

Tony, yes you are right, however, population size doesnt provide a greater insight into the reasoning of a restricted occurence, it only illustrates that the refuge is slightly larger for that species. I have thought for a while that the three variables water, fire and competition all act independently and codependently to account for the biogeography in Australian plants. These variables be they a result of Aboriginal or natural climate change they have a massive bearing on species occurences and associated speciation. Wollemia would undoubtedly be suited to the highlands of the Wet Tropics however previous climatic deterioration has led to the demise of Nothofagus and the main element of temperate rainforests 'Eucryphia' is only represented by a single population on one mountain peak (which happens to be the highest in the Wet Tropics). Reiterating, Wollemia would grow in the current days climate as it is cool and wet however the competition from large mesophyll species would undoubtedly bump it out of the habitat. I once grow a Nothofagus cunninghamii in the lowlands of NE NSW where it grew amazingly well attaining a height of 2m in less than 2 years. I planted it in the ground where it quickly died due to a lack of water. This suggests that this species is restricted to sthn Vic and Tas because of milder lower evaporation rates and constant moisture. In the warmer subtropics it is unlikley to control is stomata as efficiently as required and thus it looses water to quickly. A friend has a N .cunninghamii growing well in a wetter site than where I planted mine- thus bolstering my presumption that it isnt temperature its water availability that restricts this species to sth locations. Nothofagus moorei is only common in locations where the forests leaf size is reduced to Notophyll and is wet AND the species only recruits following disturbance and freedom from the notophyll saplings/trees. Thus I think that all three variables are at play and possibly if fire wasnt an element of Australian landscapes that competition is more so a determinate than water. Wollemia has small leaves and thus competition with larger leaved species has undoubtedly resulted in its restricted occurence too, as well as fire because Eucalypts are so common in this area now. Maybe it has become restricted to this locality during a really bad climate deterioration event however hasnt been able to escape and re-expand due to the advance of Eucalypts and associated fire-phylic habitats. Now Im rambling.... From Kris

I am an interiorscaper with a penchant for interior bonsai, I've had a monkey puzzle "bonsai" for 3 years now in a lower light office, watered via a wick and water reservoir, not a true bonsai but my client adores it, she never touched until yesterday and was shocked at spininess, i chose this tree for bonsai presntation because it was in a 6" pot, had gorgeous metallic peeling bark, looked in perspective as a small tree, had multiple layers of foliage etc, i'd seen many other monkey puzzles in the nursery and their perspective /scale was always off, choose carefull and accept it for what it is, the bonsai club folks will scoff, but if you like it, thats all that matters. Regarding training it theres not much to add as its been self pruning and remained appropiately foliaged. I've seen plants in a 10" pot that were 3 feet wide so be aware that not every tree is bonsai material. Do google searches for araucaria bonsai and you can find norfolks that are imports from asia that look cool, I've done norfolk forests with great satisfaction, ck out my website in portfolio, over time the foliage reduces in scale and produces a lush and happy presntation Good luck! Alan Kvasnik www.greencanvasinteriorscape.com Here is a link that might be useful: my web site

Arauquoia, you might misinterpret Kris's description of the distribution of the Bunya pine. He is no doubt correct about its tropical distribution, but doesn't mention its subtropical distribution. I don't think the natural distribution of Bunyas would be as great as that of the Hoop Pine, but it's bigger than Kris's posting might have led you to believe, ranging from the Bunya mountains (North-west of Toowoomba)to the coast. The range overlaps with that of the Hoop pine, the Bunyas preferring the higher ground. Both are plantation-grown (around Nanango and Blackbutt) for timber, but the Hoops are more common in forestry, being faster-growing. A visit to the Bunya mountains would delight your heart. You could see Hoop and Bunya pines in their natural habitat. Bunyas have wonderful trunks, like giant elephants' legs. There are patches where they are the only tree, with an understory of ferns only. Would your trip "through Sydney" allow for a detour there? Toowoomba has street plantings of them both and of Norfolk Island Pines (I forget which Araucaria they are, but they grow as well here as Hoops and Bunyas) and a few splendid Agathis robusta as well, which you could see in passing. What does hardy mean to you? Hardy to drought, cold, or both? At any rate, the Bunya would win out on both counts. Despite its natural habitat on well-drained basalt soil in rainforest (of a relatively low rainfall type), the Bunya grows well where it has been planted out on the poorly drained blacksoil plains where I think the frost gets to about -8 degrees. These plants were probably protected from frost when young. Neither are hardy to fire. Don't forget to see some Wollemi Pines while you're in Sydney. Araucaria wollomensis or some such name. They're newly discovered, created quite a lot of fuss when it happened (the location is still secret) and only recently on the market. One of our local gardeners has amused and delighted all and sundry by entering his knee-high specimen in the "specimen tree" competition in the local spring Carnival! To his disgust, the judges couldn't find it when they came to his place. Trish