Eric Group
Masterpiece
Water Elm is another that is great for Bonsai!
Bald Cypress too though they are much more widely used now than in the even recent past...
Under-used\under-rated plants
- Thread starter Nigel Black
- Start date
Bald Cypress too though they are much more widely used now than in the even recent past...
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
I had plenty of success growing redbuds in pots, but they refuse to flower. Basically the only reason to have one, so I got rid of all the project redbuds I had.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
You'd be surprised how far back Bald Cypress goes in U.S. bonsai. I recently got a copy of a BCI magazine and Nat. Arb. publication that came out at the 1976 dedication of the bonsai collection. The photos with the articles showed not only the John Naka, Yoshimura demo classes, but also the vendor area. There are buttonwoods, Bald Cypress, hornbeam and a few other natives for sale there. Surprisingly, all of the collected material was pretty big and substantial, not spindly saplings and cute widdle junipers...
Waltron
Chumono
now im going to have to go dig a winged elm to complete my elm grand slam. I still want to see a nice acer negundo, only one I've ever seen is that one walt paul air layerd. how abouy Sycamore? obviously the leaves are too big but that is probably one of the collest looking old trees... seems it would almost be worth it just for a winter image. I also want to try an aspen, there seems to be one kind I see that has smallish leaves and the bark looks kinda neat. I think Mike is on to something with the hop hornbeam as well.
Starfox
Masterpiece
Probably unsurprisingly my vote would go to something like Eucalyptus, I mean they are often considered an invasive species but they are grand and majestic trees and surprisingly respond well to bonsai techniques. Again though people are still working these trees out as they are more a new world tree but for me they would be worth perservering with. I would also imagine they push the boundries of the more traditional look and techniques. They can also have some amazing and colourful bark patterns.
I also throw Callistemon into the mix, purely and simply because I think in flower they are unrivalled. For me at least.
I also throw Callistemon into the mix, purely and simply because I think in flower they are unrivalled. For me at least.
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markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
Thanks Eric for mentioning the Winged Elm. I have a really nice collected one and you are right on the money - these are great American trees for bonsai.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Interesting. Redbud is my favorite flowering tree in the landscape by a mile, and they can get really gnarly. I always wanted to try one; a big one. It's not off the list, but good to know you couldn't get it to flower. Figured that would be the easy part, and it would resent root work, and forget leaf reduction...
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JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
No I've kept many and root work is super easy, leaf reduction is ok, not great, but never really sunk a lot of time into that as I was letting things run a bit to try for the flowers. I tried everything and no love on the flowers...
They are like weeds in my yard, but I love redbuds, I have a real old landscape one in my yard, it's super gnarly.
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Interesting observations regarding redbud not flowering in pots. Somewhat surprising as they bud and bloom directly off old wood, it's not like they flower at the end of the new growth (like crape myrtle, for example). I've got one in the ground that has an interesting trunk, I just chopped this spring and hope to be able to pot it up in a couple of years. Hopefully not a complete waste of time, I want flowers! LOL.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
coh
Imperial Masterpiece
Will do! One thing I've definitely noticed is that seedlings can take quite a few years to bloom. Our upwind neighbor has several redbuds that have resulted in seedlings all over our yard. I have let some of them grow, to dig up and later move as yard trees. Most have to get to a decent size before blooming, though I haven't carefully tracked their ages I would say at least 4-5 years, probably more, to first bloom.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
I moved a volunteer seedling to a spot in the yard with. Plan to chop it back after a few years. In 3 years, the trunk was 5" across and the tree was nearly 20' tall. It bloomed around year 5, and it looked so good where it was, I just left it in the yard.
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
Have any of you over the pond tried alder?
Here, Alnus glutinosa is ubiquitous, and I saw a few that are very good bonsai.
So when I saw an "Alnus glutinosa 'Imperialis'" at a plant fair, I couldn't but buy it to have a try!
Here, Alnus glutinosa is ubiquitous, and I saw a few that are very good bonsai.
So when I saw an "Alnus glutinosa 'Imperialis'" at a plant fair, I couldn't but buy it to have a try!
miker
Chumono
Acer buergerianum var. formosanum. This form/variety/subspecies is endemic to Taiwan and is distinct from the typical Acer buergerianum in many ways. I have both and the two trees are clearly related yet quite different. Kind of like the difference between Acer saccharum and Acer skutchii or Acer floridanum.
My Acer Buergerianum var. formosanum is little more than 12" tall, yet the thin trunk (less than 1") has nicely textured "mature" bark, is reproductive and has leaves that look like Salvador Dali's impression of the typical trident maple leaves.
Definitely a distinct and interesting taxon for bonsai use. Here is a re-post of a photo of mine as it looked when I received it. I plan to allow the samara to mature for collection and subsequent propagation, then air layer the tree somewhere below the fork.
Attachments
aml1014
Masterpiece
Took a bunch of redbud seeds from trees at my local botanical gardens this spring and surprisingly I've got 18 new little redbuds already separated into their own 4" pots for future bonsai training.
Aaron
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Took a bunch of redbud seeds from trees at my local botanical gardens this spring and surprisingly I've got 18 new little redbuds already separated into their own 4" pots for future bonsai training.
Aaron
Were they dry?
I grabbed some...didn't get around to planting them....
But I found like 2 stages where they could be viable.....don't know if they'll sprout after so dry......
Guess it don't matter.....cuz I'm really looking to ask my park district of I Can layer a walkway dangler!
Sorce
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Post em!
I was down as far south today as Waukegan is north...
And the climates are measurably different. All 3.
In Homewood.
I saw a hundred today I want to go pic.
Through Historic Riverside.
Sick ass Tall Old ones.
Times tickin.
Sorce
aml1014
Masterpiece
Here's my teachers this spring before I styled it
I collected a few this spring to start training, she calls this my tree because I always want to work on it before she can lol
Aaron
Waltron
Chumono
is that an acer negundo? very nice either way
