Bonsai Identification and Help

[ronandjess2010]

First I would like to express my gratitude for any assistance you may provide my wife and I in order to get to the bottom of our bonsai issues/questions... My wife and I purchased our first bonsai tree two years ago and we regretfully did not take horticulture and the art of bonsai as seriously as we should have, something we have come to appreciate today. With our new found vigor, we need some help identifying our bonsai tree as well as an odd symptom he is displaying, I have photos attached.

I first e-mailed the company we purchased him from (bonsai boy) asking what kind of tree we have. We know he is about 20 years old but had lost his identification card. We were very passively dismissed and told he is a Surinam Cherry. Though we did receive the flowers that a Surinam Cherry grows last summer, we have issues with that answer. First, our tree does not seem to have the flaky bark Surinam's seem to have. Also, more importantly, he does not have copper red leaves when growing in nor did he bare us fruit. Admittedly, we did a poor job with feeding and watering our first year and perhaps that is the reason we did not receive fruit? Are you able to help identify our tree?

Our issue... The first fall we had him in our home, our tree lost his leaves at which point I attributed him to being a deciduous tree. This year, we moved him to a south facing window in late fall and he did not lose his leaves. My interpretation was that we tricked him by providing him with the same amount of light he was accustomed too. Now, still being in the south window, he is dropping his leaves. Coincidentally, around december/january we started a regular feeding regiment for him. I wonder (1) is he just now cycling his leaves, (2) are we perhaps over watering over feeding, (3) his leaves have not looked this pale/veiny when he looked really healthy last summer, is this a symptom of something?

I apologize for the length of this post and appreciate any assistance, we wish to be better bonsai parents going forward. For locational forensic purposes, we live in SE Wisconsin.

 

[edprocoat]

My first thought was the leaves look like an Ash leave! It does not sound like a Eugenia as they will bloom a few times a year usually, and the leaves are really a dark green and the bark is darker. Surinam Cherry ( Eugenia uniflora ) are also evergreen and will retain leaves indoors under decent lighting. They like moist soil as do most tropicals, but do need to dry some between waterings, not dried out either.

Wish I could help more, but there are many here who are far more knowledgeable horticulturally than I. Good luck with it !

ed

 

[jk_lewis]

Whatever the tree is it has a severe case of chlorosis. You need to fertilize it heavily with a fertilizer that has a full regime of trace elements (read the label!). It also looks as if it has not received anywhere near the amount of light it needs to have.

It will start looking better if you can get it outside for the summer.

 

[Ris]

Whatever the tree is it has a severe case of chlorosis. You need to fertilize it heavily with a fertilizer that has a full regime of trace elements (read the label!). It also looks as if it has not received anywhere near the amount of light it needs to have.

It will start looking better if you can get it outside for the summer.

This tree looks like champaca which don't have fruit but has a very sweet smelling flower.
Feed with miracle grow all purpose it will be fine. Needs full sun.

Have fun.

 

[ronandjess2010]

Thank you.

Thank you for everyone's feedback. The mystery continues at the moment I suppose as I am still not sold on his identification. Below is a pic of a surinam cherry flower that is very, if not an exact match to what our tree receives. The only difference is I have less stamen and no fruit to show. But, again I wonder if that is partially due to improper care.

I've increased his feeding a bit to hopefully help out the chlorosis, I'd like to re-pot him in fresh bonsai soil but wonder if I should not wait until he recovers since I would like to trim him back as well.

Thanks again.

 

[Beetleman72]

Bonsai tree does not mean indoor tree. It is too dry, not enough light and not enough air circulation. When it is dormant, if it is very cold where you live then you can take it inside and it will be fine with proper watering and good soil. Also December in my opinion is a little too early to fertilize if you are using dirt as soil. I start when they start to emerge from dormancy on my trees planted in dirt. Go to the bonsai learning center website and download the pdf's and read them. They have a lot of good information on there that will take you years and many dead trees to figure out on your own. This forum is also a great resourse. I ask Brian van fleet, dario, mary uk, milehigh07, don blackmond stuff all the timeand they are VERY knowledgeable and gracious.