10 year wait - Yamadori Ume

Giga

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Mume is by far my favorite species. I've been on the look out for one for a very very long time. 10 years for one. Not just something I could buy, but something I could have formed from the beginning. I could have bought a seedling but, I wanted something I found, dug, and shaped with my own hands. This year I've found it and it's a biggin. Pardon the background I've been doing a lot of work in the garden this year. Here's some full shots
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If you noticed it has another tree wrapped around the base. Not sure how I'm going to play that tree, either keep it and grow it out too or crave it out. Its a big base too and flares out a lot under the soil. Buried deep to help new roots
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And to top it off its got buds all over the place! Makes me happy!
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Giga

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Dude. That is a serious ume!

I know! I'm all giddy inside

You have a hottie on your hands, I'd really try to find a way to ditch her ugly friend at the base though.

That's my thought too, I pretty sure its southern wax myrtle, it rots fast. So if I keep growth from growing it should give way fast then next year I can carve it out and maybe replace it with a rock
 

Dav4

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The ume is trying to grow around that other tree and it's misshaping the ume's base... it's gotta go so you can really see what that ume has to offer. I would have lost it at collection, but you can carefully cut it into pieces now with a hand saw or dremel. I also agree that those trunks need to be shortened considerably as they've got no taper or real movement to make it worthwhile to keep them. I'd shorten the smaller trunk by 50% and the larger trunk at least a few inches below where it splits into those smaller 3 sub trunks. Looking forward to see what you do with it.
 

Giga

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Prunus mume is not a native species, so I'm having real trouble understanding how this can be a yamadori ume. :confused:

Just because something is not native does not mean its not collected from the wild, which this was.

They're not native to Japan either!
@Giga, You are going to have to cut it down a lot more me thinks..

Maybe but there are some really bid ume in Japan, and I like the idea of keeping this guy larger, there will be a lot of carving done on this one to tie everything together

Nice....

I would let a book of poetry determine the fate of that log.

A book With this title poem.
View attachment 133476

Sorce

Love it!
 

Giga

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The ume is trying to grow around that other tree and it's misshaping the ume's base... it's gotta go so you can really see what that ume has to offer. I would have lost it at collection, but you can carefully cut it into pieces now with a hand saw or dremel. I also agree that those trunks need to be shortened considerably as they've got no taper or real movement to make it worthwhile to keep them. I'd shorten the smaller trunk by 50% and the larger trunk at least a few inches below where it splits into those smaller 3 sub trunks. Looking forward to see what you do with it.

I do agree, but during collection that other tree has litterlly grown into the ume and it would have torn bark away to remove it. I have removed all it roots and will remove it but wanted a more controlled environment where I could get rid of it. Think of it like growing around a rock for now :) as far as the trunks I do and do not agree with the shortning of them. The image I have will involve hollowing and carving, for that I wanted a little more to play with for now. Also the tree was growing in the shade of another tree so it wasn't weak but not as strong as I want it so I collected it a little taller, since back budding on ume can be iffy sometimes.

I'm with Dav4 on this.

Agreed'ish ;)
 
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I have been ground growing one of these for 10 years and now only have a trunk 1 " wide, lucky you with your climate!
Nice tree post some photos as the tree progresses please
 

Giga

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I have been ground growing one of these for 10 years and now only have a trunk 1 " wide, lucky you with your climate!
Nice tree post some photos as the tree progresses please

Yeah this was one of the best finds I've ever found, it pays to wonder around in the forest for a couple hours at a time looking.
 

Adair M

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Giga, have you seen this flower? I find it hard to believe that you would find a Mume "wandering around in the forest". They're rare in landscapes here in the US.

I've also never seen one send out red shoots. Always green.

I'm thinking this is more likely some kind of wild plum. Or a hybrid of some sort.
 

Giga

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Yes I have seen the flowers, I dont have a picture though. And the lignified branches are green and the same as ume. Just because you've never seen them doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Also many of the local nurserys here sell ume, but they just have a ridiculousness price tag. Maybe it is a hybrid but it blooms the same time as other ume.
 
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Giga

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Also the flowers are attached to the stem and don't dangle like a wild plum would, plus plum branches are brown and not green.
 

Adair M

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Yes I have seen the flowers, I dont have a picture though. And the lignified branches are green and the same as ume. Just because you've never seen them doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Also many of the local nurserys here sell ume, but they just have a ridiculousness price tag. Maybe it is a hybrid but it blooms the same time as other ume.
Also the flowers are attached to the stem and don't dangle like a wild plum would, plus plum branches are brown and not green.
Well, maybe a bird took a seed from one of the domesticated ones out to the forest! Good for you!
 
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