Flowering pear?

[aphid]

Does anyone keep flowering pear bonsai trees? I rarely see any. They are very popular as street trees in the Boston area. The white flowers are very beautiful in spring. In fall, the leaves turn red. I'm going to see if I can airlayer one. I have a big tree at my house, but it looks very boring. I have seem some older cultivars with contorting looking branches and tips.

http://blog.lawncareevansville.com/.../6-popular-flowering-pear-tree-varieties.html

 

[yenling83]

I'm sure some have them, however they are not a popular pick for Bonsai. This is mostly because they are not one of the traditional species used in Bonsai. I think they would be fantastic for Bonsai. I think you should start some from cutting or air layer, good luck!

 

[edprocoat]

Aphid, use the search function here as I beleive there is at least 10-12 threads here on flowering pears. I know I am curious now and will do the same.

ed

 

[LacViet]

I saw this tree last month at the local bonsai gathering

 

[augustine]

Brent at EvergreenGardenworks and Jim Gremel grow pear trees and offer them for sale.

 

[GrimLore]

Does anyone keep flowering pear bonsai trees? I rarely see any. They are very popular as street trees in the Boston area. The white flowers are very beautiful in spring. In fall, the leaves turn red. I'm going to see if I can airlayer one. I have a big tree at my house, but it looks very boring. I have seem some older cultivars with contorting looking branches and tips.

http://blog.lawncareevansville.com/.../6-popular-flowering-pear-tree-varieties.html

I am not certain what species of Pear is commonly used in Japanese gardens but they are used a lot for their overall beauty as well as cherry trees. Bonsai being worked on is a little different with fruit trees in general because most will not flower while being worked on like roots and ramification. I have started a few over the last 6 years, Cherry, Plum, Crabapple and plan on Pear this season. The only one that has flowered so far is the Plum as they are being tortured on a regular basis.

I went through my notes for Spring and found this snippit from Wikipedia:
Pyrus pyrifolia is a pear tree species native to China, Japan, and Korea. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Japanese pear, Taiwan pear, and sand pear.

They are commonly called Apple Pears but are not in anyway Apple, just the shape of the fruit.

Grimmy

 

[Poink88]

I am not certain what species of Pear is commonly used in Japanese gardens but they are used a lot for their overall beauty as well as cherry trees. Bonsai being worked on is a little different with fruit trees in general because most will not flower while being worked on like roots and ramification. I have started a few over the last 6 years, Cherry, Plum, Crabapple and plan on Pear this season. The only one that has flowered so far is the Plum as they are being tortured on a regular basis.

Grimmy

Very good point Grim. I bought a grafted Plum last year from HD or Lowes and hope the variety lends itself to "torture" well and still flower like yours.

 

[edprocoat]

I saw this tree last month at the local bonsai gathering

Thats a beauty ! Where is the "local" you mentioned?

Putting your info in your profile for your area would make it easier to guess !

ed

 

[PaulH]

Here's a thread about mine....
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?6718-Pear-tree-sans-partridge&highlight=pear

 

[Poink88]

Here's a thread about mine....
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?6718-Pear-tree-sans-partridge&highlight=pear

That looks awesome Paul. Do you have an update pic? Thank you.

 

[Poink88]

I purchased a grafted flowering Bradford Pear from Home Depot last week for $16.00. About 10 feet tall before I chopped it. Nursery supervisor asked me what happened as I am throwing all the trunk and branches in their trash bin and all that is left is less than a foot stump in the pot. LOL

The leaves, being on the big side could be the challenge but I plan on growing it for it's flower and naked form.

Money well spent I think specially with the amount of fun I'll get out of it (unless it dies right away)...even if it ends up as a mediocre bonsai.

 

[aphid]

I purchased a grafted flowering Bradford Pear from Home Depot last week for $16.00. About 10 feet tall before I chopped it. Nursery supervisor asked me what happened as I am throwing all the trunk and branches in their trash bin and all that is left is less than a foot stump in the pot. LOL

The leaves, being on the big side could be the challenge but I plan on growing it for it's flower and naked form.

Money well spent I think specially with the amount of fun I'll get out of it (unless it dies right away)...even if it ends up as a mediocre bonsai.

I wanted to do that last year, but I was looking for a particular cultivar that's very gnarly looking and short internodes; but I don't know what cultivar it is. Let me go outside and take some pictures. There are a few around my office. The one at my house is very boring with big internodes.

 

[Poink88]

I am reading about it and most say the root stock is most likely a Callery Pear. Checked that and it seems a better bonsai candidate for me so I MIGHT just remove the grafted Bradford top.

Error on my part...Bradford is a sub-specie of Callery.

http://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/Display_Onetree.aspx?tid=73

 

[aphid]

Here's a cultivar that I haven't seen anywhere else besides in my office parking lot. There are only 2 of them that look like this. The other ones aren't as gnarly looking. The shoots grow in all sorts of direction. The internodes are smaller than usual as well. It looks almost like a crabapple tree except it's upright.

 

[Poink88]

Ask if you can airlayer a branch.

 

[aphid]

Ask if you can airlayer a branch.

Haha.. I doubt they'll know what I'm talking about. I see some branches that look like instant shohins.

 

[berobinson82]

Haha.. I doubt they'll know what I'm talking about. I see some branches that look like instant shohins.

I've asked a driving range and an office building and they both had no problem with it. I brought a bonsai magazine to show what I was into. They both failed unfortunately for lack of diligent visiting to water.

I've also been told no. Even by a neighbor!

Good luck.

 

[LacViet]

Thats a beauty ! Where is the "local" you mentioned?

Putting your info in your profile for your area would make it easier to guess !

ed

This was in So Cal, Garden Grove last month. It appeared that local bonsai club did a mini show @ the Buddish temple which I happend to visit on that day.

 

[jk_lewis]

Bradford pears are very pretty, but quite awful and over-planted trees. After 20 years they WILL split, right down the middle and landowners will have to get rid of them.

Here is my Pyrus pyrafolia:

 

[GrimLore]

I purchased a grafted flowering Bradford Pear from Home Depot last week for $16.00. About 10 feet tall before I chopped it. Nursery supervisor asked me what happened as I am throwing all the trunk and branches in their trash bin and all that is left is less than a foot stump in the pot. LOL

The leaves, being on the big side could be the challenge but I plan on growing it for it's flower and naked form.

Money well spent I think specially with the amount of fun I'll get out of it (unless it dies right away)...even if it ends up as a mediocre bonsai.

Many Pear trees require having another to Fruit and many of the grafted require a different species nearby. Just figured I would give you a heads up on that

Grimmy