Hobbes
Sapling
Anyone know the species of this azalea? Suitable for bonsai? Sorry for all the weeds, we're selling our house and are currently more concerned about the house itself haha. Thanks!
Azalea i.d. please
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Hobbes
Sapling
I forgot to say that they flower in the winter here in zone 8, Jacksonville FL.
Eric Group
Masterpiece
There are thousands of azaleas, it is absolutely impossible to tell the variety without pics of the blooms. Even then, it can be hard to make a positive ID!
That said... Blooms in the WINTER? Must be an early bloomer (winter there is comparable in temps to early Spring in most parts of the SE I guess), it is possibly some type of Kurume looking at the leaves. What color are the blooms?
That said... Blooms in the WINTER? Must be an early bloomer (winter there is comparable in temps to early Spring in most parts of the SE I guess), it is possibly some type of Kurume looking at the leaves. What color are the blooms?
Hobbes
Sapling
Blooms are purple iirc. Saw quite a few people say leaves are a better indicator hence the close up, I don't think I have any pics of the blooms. Could people tell whether or not it's suitable for bonsai from these pics, but without a species id? I couldn't find any lists of bonsai suitable species besides the most popular two, and I'm too new to bonsai to be able to tell if they look suitable based on the branch structure.
Paradox
Imperial Masterpiece
Hmm yellow leaves in the fall usually indicate a white flower.
No way to tell without a picture of the flower and as Eric said, there are 1000s of varieties so ID is not easy.
If it flowers in the winter we should be seeing flower buds, any one see them? I dont
No way to tell without a picture of the flower and as Eric said, there are 1000s of varieties so ID is not easy.
If it flowers in the winter we should be seeing flower buds, any one see them? I dont
Hobbes
Sapling
White could also be possible. My mother in law planted these and another flowering plant a few feet away. The other plant is definitely white and purple flowers, I see them every day when I walk in our front door. You can only see the azalea from the side of the house which I'm never on in the winter, so I could be confusing the color with the other flowers I see all the time.
I guess it doesn't hurt to pull one up and give it a shot!
I guess it doesn't hurt to pull one up and give it a shot!
Eric Group
Masterpiece
It depends on how much you want to know I guess... I can tell a Belgian from a Satsuki by the leaves, but I can't tell a Miyuki from a Chinzan! If you want the variety name, we need a bloom picture.
As far as Bonsai suitability.. It has small leaves which is a good thing, but this particular tree is tiny with no real interest in the structure or trunk... It would take years of growing out to be anything interesting...
Hobbes
Sapling
Suitability is all I'm really interested in. I already plan on growing a few trunks out so waiting is no big deal. It'll make good practice. Thanks for the help!
augustine
Chumono
I'm with Eric, this one is not worth you time and trouble. One reason being is that it easy to find decent azaleas in local nurseries at reasonable to cheap prices. Practice on something with potential. The biggest thing in bonsai is time, spend it wisely.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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Basically good advice from Eric and Augustine, there is nothing "special" there. On the other hand, the vast majority of azaleas can become medium grade to really good bonsai in 25 years or less. Some in as little as 5 years, or if you start with better material 5 years is not unusual. If you want a souvenir from your mother in law's house, dig it up. If it has purple flowers, from the leaves I would say a kurume type hybrid is a pretty good guess and kurume make pretty decent bonsai. They are not able to make as big and heavy a trunk as some of the satsuki, but they do make reasonable bonsai. Understand you will be putting time into material that will need several years to bring it up to the quality of a $25 garden center azalea, but if it has sentimental value, you should dig one or two up. Look for the ones with the thickest trunks, those are the ones to dig. Get some Kanuma Japanese clay pellets to plant it in, or use pumice or a blend of Kanuma and perlite, or Kanuma and Pumice, or just pumice. Add some composted fir bark or sifted chunky canadian peat moss to the mix too. Try to water with rain water or water with low total dissolved Calcium, but never with water that has been "softened" by a water softener that uses salt for the process. Rain water, RO water, or low total alkalinity tap water is best. Part of the reason this azalea may be so slender and twiggy is that in Florida the majority of the soils in most places are too alkaline for azaleas. It may change it appearance, rapidly improve once you get it in a slightly acidic soil and start watering with low dissolved solids water. Use Acid Plant Food like "Mira Acid" fertilizer. That will help too.
Kurume azalea are usually purple, but there are white, pink and red forms. Like the others said, even with flower and leaf photos, at best you will only be able to narrow it down into general type, you will never be certain exactly which cultivar it is. However, bonsai techniques for azaleas are pretty much the same across the board. Only difference from one type to the other is the timing as to when you do what. The whats are all the same.
Kurume types will flower first, then vegetatively grow, the Satsuki types will grow vegetatively for a month or so in spring, then flower, then have a second flush of vegetative growth. So once you can observe it more closely, you will be able to sort which group it belongs in by growth pattern. Then there is the ringer, Azalea species not related to Kurume and Satsuki will have their own pattern of growth, and knowledge of which species does what, when is beyond my skill set. But the pruning, wiring, styling and potting techniques are the same across the board, with the only variation being the timing of the prunings, etc.
Repot every second or third year in Spring, before blooming, pruning back hard at that time - you won't get flowers but that is the best time to repot. That is also why you don't repot every year, you want to see the flowers. Read the other azalea posts in this forum, there is a ton of information out there.
Kurume azalea are usually purple, but there are white, pink and red forms. Like the others said, even with flower and leaf photos, at best you will only be able to narrow it down into general type, you will never be certain exactly which cultivar it is. However, bonsai techniques for azaleas are pretty much the same across the board. Only difference from one type to the other is the timing as to when you do what. The whats are all the same.
Kurume types will flower first, then vegetatively grow, the Satsuki types will grow vegetatively for a month or so in spring, then flower, then have a second flush of vegetative growth. So once you can observe it more closely, you will be able to sort which group it belongs in by growth pattern. Then there is the ringer, Azalea species not related to Kurume and Satsuki will have their own pattern of growth, and knowledge of which species does what, when is beyond my skill set. But the pruning, wiring, styling and potting techniques are the same across the board, with the only variation being the timing of the prunings, etc.
Repot every second or third year in Spring, before blooming, pruning back hard at that time - you won't get flowers but that is the best time to repot. That is also why you don't repot every year, you want to see the flowers. Read the other azalea posts in this forum, there is a ton of information out there.
