I have read how sagebrush makes excellent tree armatures but it is hard to find here in central Texas. However, we have Rosemary plants growing like weeds in our yard. I noticed yesterday one bush had died and had a very woody and well branched structure to it. Anyway, today I took my clippers and trimmed out at least 50 armatures ranging from three to five inches in height… Once I stretch some polyfiber on them and detail with ground foam I believe they will make some very realistic trees for my HO layout. Moral is: always be looking for a new source of free and inexpensive scenery materials.
Great find, Scout. I love finding resources like that. My tree source turned out to be a spirea bush that is right outside my front door. Walked right past it almost every day for several years before having a sudden epiphany that the dead blooms would make good tree armatures. Oh, the wasted years!
Jim
Hello I seen on here a few years ago someone used roots for tree armatures. So I have been pulling all kinds of plants out of the ground. The fall seams to be the best time of year they are dryer. So far sunflower roots look the best.They seem to have more branches. I cut the stem about 4’’ above the roots. Put the stem end down let them dry like that. I have not tried to put any poly fiber on them just ground turf. Here is a photo with some dead trees and some green.
I have some poly fiber I give it a try and see how they look. Hope this helps. Have a nice day Frank
Hi,
I removed a dead rosemary bush a couple months ago. The odor (good or not) lingers on a long time.
Does that go away with “processing”?
When visiting Angelo Hobbies in Ft Worth I asked a similar question and the fellow suggested sagebrush (again, not around here in Central TX), crepe myrtle and nandina. I have the latter two so may gather some, though I don’t know how to make the trees and need some reference info. I need to learn more but am not to that stage with the layout yet.
I have used butterfly bush flowers. Sage has an order that lingers for a while too. I dip them in matte medium; let them dry; and use hairspray to stick ground foam to them.
I will check out rosemary, and sunflower roots.
Thanks, Sue
The LHS’s HO railroad uses juniper roots as tree forms. Easy to find in this area and look like 1:87 tree trunks and limbs.