Is This Good Bonsai?

Messages
1,309
Reaction score
2,482
Location
Finger Lakes Region, New York
USDA Zone
5
*Disclaimer: I'm not trying to cause trouble or arguments or lead any one down a path. I'm only looking for intelligent dialoge.

Do you think this tree could be a legitimate bonsai style.20170831_204331.jpg
 

Paradox

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,339
Reaction score
11,414
Location
Long Island, NY
USDA Zone
7a
What style? Half dead?

In all seriousness....a bonsai that looked like that tree would be an OK bonsai, I guess or its not my cup of tea.

Why?

All the branches are angled up, making it look like a young tree, not an old tree.
Although judging by the lack of foliage, it is half dead.
 
Messages
1,309
Reaction score
2,482
Location
Finger Lakes Region, New York
USDA Zone
5
What style? Half dead?

In all seriousness....a bonsai that looked like that tree would be an OK bonsai, I guess or its not my cup of tea.

Why?

All the branches are angled up, making it look like a young tree, not an old tree.
Although judging by the lack of foliage, it is half dead.
Dan Robinson made a career out of leaving dead branches and not sharpened pencils. He says all trees deserve deadwood. I like his work.
 

Paradox

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,339
Reaction score
11,414
Location
Long Island, NY
USDA Zone
7a
Ive never been much of a fan of broom style trees, I admit.

Even as a broom I still dont think that tree would make a nice looking bonsai
 

Vin

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,257
Reaction score
7,645
Location
Panama City, FL Zone 9a/8b Centr
USDA Zone
8b
The issue I have is the tree is next to a road. This means it's been pruned, topped, wrecked in to and who knows what else over the years. My point is, it's not natural.
 
Messages
1,309
Reaction score
2,482
Location
Finger Lakes Region, New York
USDA Zone
5
The issue I have is the tree is next to a road. This means it's been pruned, topped, wrecked in to and who knows what else over the years. My point is, it's not natural.
Trust me, they don't prune on this road. I would think its more natural than classic style. Natural style bonsai are tampered with.
 

CasAH

Chumono
Messages
780
Reaction score
1,270
Location
Arlington Heights, IL
USDA Zone
5
Not all old trees have branches that angle down, that is species/location dependent. That tree looks pretty old to me!

It is a twin trunk oak growing along a road, in full Sun. It is less than 60 years old, probably less than 50.

Oaks grow quickly when grown in full Sun. I have seen oaks that are over 75" DBH that are less than 140 years old.
 

Vin

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,257
Reaction score
7,645
Location
Panama City, FL Zone 9a/8b Centr
USDA Zone
8b
Trust me, they don't prune on this road. I would think its more natural than classic style. Natural style bonsai are tampered with.
I'm not saying natural style bonsai aren't tampered with. I'm saying I wouldn't want to use that particular tree as inspiration to style a bonsai after. Maybe it hasn't been touched by humans in some way but it looks like it did. IMO I don't think it would make good bonsai.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
That tree looks just like a flame Ginkgo!
And if there's a style that could use some deadwood, like all deadwood, it's that one!

That one in particular looks too much like the dying ash around here...

So for me, it is "already dead".

If it were an oak.... is it an oak?
If it were like OUR oaks...
I don't think I'd see the death in the future.
So it would work.

I am fond of these trees.

The power line ones too!

Sorce
 
Messages
1,309
Reaction score
2,482
Location
Finger Lakes Region, New York
USDA Zone
5
It is a twin trunk oak growing along a road, in full Sun. It is less than 60 years old, probably less than 50.

Oaks grow quickly when grown in full Sun. I have seen oaks that are over 75" DBH that are less than 140 years old.
It's an illusion. The dead branches help with that. Bonsai is an illusion as well, a copy of nature. Nature is probably what's killing the tree. It's a fungus.
 
Messages
1,309
Reaction score
2,482
Location
Finger Lakes Region, New York
USDA Zone
5
That tree looks just like a flame Ginkgo!
And if there's a style that could use some deadwood, like all deadwood, it's that one!

That one in particular looks too much like the dying ash around here...

So for me, it is "already dead".

If it were an oak.... is it an oak?
If it were like OUR oaks...
I don't think I'd see the death in the future.
So it would work.

I am fond of these trees.

The power line ones too!

Sorce
There's a fungus attacking oaks around here.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
Messages
32,908
Reaction score
45,579
Location
Berwyn, Il
USDA Zone
6.2
I would argue there's at least a few people here who have NEVER even seen a tree without the city's influence.

That said...

If the purpose of bonsai is to take someone back somewhere, to give them a feeling, revive memories.

Why not memories of moments within society?

I would guess we all have way more memorable memories of trees influenced by society.

But just like anything That would seem "easy" to recreate in miniature, it is difficult as hell!

But should be considered.

These trees are part of us!

Sorce
 

CasAH

Chumono
Messages
780
Reaction score
1,270
Location
Arlington Heights, IL
USDA Zone
5
There's a fungus attacking oaks around here.

We also have oak wilt here. It takes out about 90% of red and black oaks it infects in less than a year. It only kills about 10% of white oak family trees it infects. The white oaks that die seem to be in poor health.
 

Paradox

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
9,339
Reaction score
11,414
Location
Long Island, NY
USDA Zone
7a
I would argue there's at least a few people here who have NEVER even seen a tree without the city's influence.

I have a sneaking feeling you are referring to me in this statement because I live in New York "near" New York City. You could not be more wrong.

Ill have you know I grew up very far from the city and have camped and fished in a tent, in the middle of the woods, in the shadow of this mountain, where there is no electricity or running tap for miles and we saw no other humans the whole time

Katahdin_fall.jpg
 

coh

Imperial Masterpiece
Messages
5,781
Reaction score
6,822
Location
Rochester, NY
USDA Zone
6
It is a twin trunk oak growing along a road, in full Sun. It is less than 60 years old, probably less than 50.

Oaks grow quickly when grown in full Sun. I have seen oaks that are over 75" DBH that are less than 140 years old.
So what is your point, exactly? The actual age doesn't matter, it's whether the tree looks old. This one does. Now, it doesn't look like a thousand year old mountain juniper or even a hundreds of years old live oak, but it still looks aged/old (and appearance of age is a relative thing).

It's also interesting that the tree is rather asymmetric, with less branching extending up/out over the road compared to the other side. So maybe there was some pruning at some point.

Would this tree look good scaled down to a bonsai size...I think it could. It's got a nice informal broom style, the branches have interesting movement and decent ramification. I think it would look good in winter silhouette, maybe even more so if there was some additional branching on the right side.
 
Messages
1,309
Reaction score
2,482
Location
Finger Lakes Region, New York
USDA Zone
5
I'm not saying natural style bonsai aren't tampered with. I'm saying I wouldn't want to use that particular tree as inspiration to style a bonsai after. Maybe it hasn't been touched by humans in some way but it looks like it did. IMO I don't think it would make good bonsai.
Would it inspire you to do this?
https://i.pinimg.com/236x/7f/5e/fc/7f5efc4dafb75c30f3b8bca79e04d142--bonsai-art-bonsai-trees.jpg or this.
https://images.google.com/imgres?im...id=X70XPDAJaCIRqM:&w=750&h=973&source=sh/x/im
 
Last edited:

sparklemotion

Shohin
Messages
490
Reaction score
800
Location
Minnesota
USDA Zone
4b
This tree makes me think of David Crust. Here's a recent radio piece about him.

I don't like all of his trees. But I do like his style. Sometimes, he thinks a tree is more interesting if it has Teletubbies on it. I think that this tree would be more interesting if, say, there was more of a distinct division between the deadwood and the foliage. But I know that that would seem less "natural."
 
Top Bottom