A Fukien Tea (for Makarovnik)

grouper52

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In a recent discussion about another tree species, BNut member Makarovnik brought up killing a Fukien Tea tree early in his career, and I reassured him that I knew of no USA bonsai person who had ever kept one alive for any length of time, including myself.

Then, visiting a very talented bonsai guy named Rogie down in the lowlands a short while ago, who had recently won some high honors at a showing judged by Kobayashi, he took me over to see the tree that won his highest honor in that competition - a gorgeous Fukien Tea!

So the other day, during yet another logistical trip to Manila, I stopped by the "Bonsai Commune" there that I've talked about, to see if the main guy there, Michael, had any small trees that would fit in the car to bring back for starter material, (he mostly deals in collecting, styling and showing really huge, award-winning trees), especially any with flowers that my wife might be more prone to think were worth my while buying ( ... ), and I asked about Fukien Teas. He said he thought he had one somewhere, but wasn't sure amidst the hundreds strewn all over the place, so he asked his wife, and she hunted down this old beauty, really neglected for years if not decades over amidst a tangle of other material.

It's not an instant charmer, perhaps, but to me it is a fine, fine piece of material that will - hopefully - keep me busy for years to come. And if I keep it alive ("It should grow in Baguio," I'm told), that will be satisfaction enough.

The deadwood is somewhat rotted and lace with an ant nest, and the growth habit is very angular, and the old branches, not well placed but too stiff to bend, present a tree that I will gladly try to style largely with clip-and-grow, to which it should respond well. It stands 16" above the pot.

Fukien-2.jpg Fukien-1.jpg

Here it is - enjoy!
 

Anthony

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Suggestion,

[1] If you can ground grow.

[2] Abandon any large areas of dead wood - can lead to death of tree.

[3] When large enough in the ground air-layer.

They are beautiful shrubs, and like sun, plenty water, but the
soil should be freely draining.
There are 3 sizes of leaf.
Best of growing
Anthony

*You cannot see it, but at the base is a large area, burnt by the Chinese to
make the tree, more "attractive"
Area rotted, as fukien tea wood is not durable even with age [ tree was over
40 years old ]

Tree died last year, left behind a seedling, now regrowing to take mummy's place.

Hey @sorce ,
just to teasingly remind you. The pot is home made.:p

fukien tea 2.jpg
 

Anthony

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@grouper52 ,

Another suggestion - 3 to 5 Sageretia t.
You will enjoy the extreme twiggy-ness and small leaves.
You can get trunks over 5 inches in size, if you prefer
bigger trees.
AND the Chinese Serissa, also able to be had at 5" trunks.
Twiggy and small leaves.
Good Day
Anthony
 
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