Thanks. I just received a one gallon plant just to see how it looks. The leaves aren’t terribly large actually. About 3” long 1.5” wide. Looks quite nice. Maybe it is good enough for large bonsai. If the leaf size can be reduced it will be even nicer.Magnolia, most are not good for bonsai. The issue is leaves are giant, and simply do not reduce to a proportionate size. Sometimes magnolia that bloom while leafless in early spring are used to make a tree that is only displayed while in bloom. They are hidden away, and not shown, when not in bloom.
Magnolia Figo 'Stellar Ruby' is an evergreen magnolia. It will have big, out of proportion leaves while in bloom. Use it as a landscape shrub.
Look for a deciduous magnolia if you really want a magnolia as bonsai. Make certain it blooms before leaves emerge.
That is a nicely looking tree!As Leo says, Magnolia doesn't really make good bonsai, per se. However, after you have some number of trees and have the obligatory conventional one of everything group, you can branch out. I have a 'Royal Star' that was going to be just perfect spring of '13, but the Winter From Hell got here first and top-killed everything. My perfect arc of ~deer antlers~ was gone. It finally bloomed some last year and the flowers are so great that my wife admired it. She never looks at or says anything nice about my trees. The leaves are too big and inherently disorderly to make into any kind of separate clouds or lay in any orderly fashion, but they are nice and healthy looking. Next spring it's going to be a killer with lots of flowers.
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Did somebody just disrespect this...I reckon they're better than that God Damn Desert rose!
I thought Owen had a thread on them. I know he keeps one...I think.
@Owen Reich how you doing feller?
Sorce
Lol never had that kind of expectation. Although it doesn’t mean I am not going to tryI've got my share of horticultural pets, that purists will not accept as bonsai. Sometimes I'll even share photos of them. But just did not want you to get your hopes up, thinking you could get your magnolia to have leaves smaller than your thumbnail and twiggy branches like an elm or hornbeam. That just "ain't gonna happen".
My hybrid star magnolia didn’t make it during one of my 3 month trips to Japan a few years ago. Incredibly rewarding Genus. Michellia figo isn’t fully hardy a lot of places, but worth having. Deciduous magnolias like star and some hybrids do have the right stuff and naturally form heavy bases.I reckon they're better than that God Damn Desert rose!
I thought Owen had a thread on them. I know he keeps one...I think.
@Owen Reich how you doing feller?
Sorce
Thank you sir! Glad to hear you are rebooting!My hybrid star magnolia didn’t make it during one of my 3 month trips to Japan a few years ago. Incredibly rewarding Genus. Michellia figo isn’t fully hardy a lot of places, but worth having. Deciduous magnolias like star and some hybrids do have the right stuff and naturally form heavy bases.
I’m doing ok @sorce. Full life reboot with a ton of support. Grateful for that support, and to still be here.
Hi, I'm waiting for my first Magnolia stellata and learning as much as possible. Have seen Bjorn 'the bonsai art of japan ep 16' and your blog https://tupelobonsai.com/tag/owen-reich/I have a different dwarf M. virginiana as well. Not sure of cultivar name but a hair bigger leaf