Collected Yaupon

[markyscott]

Not sure how many of us grow Yaupon, but I think they're really great - small leaves, twiggy habit, and bud back well from old wood. They like it hot - there is an abundance of collectible material all over. The biggest challenge with collecting them is that they tend to grow stick straight with little taper. However, every once in a while you'll run across something special. Thought I'd use this thread to post some of the Yaupon I've been working on. Here's the big one:



It was collected a few seasons ago near Dallas. Little has been done other than to get it into good soil and to let it grow. Major pruning scars are evident from large branches that were removed during collection. Time to thin, cut back and clean some of those old wounds.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

These trees have a bad reputation for rot. Their wood becomes pretty punky when exposed, but properly sealed, they can heal and the healing scars they produce can add a lot of character to the trunk.



It's good to avoid really large scars, clean pruning cuts well, and seal the wounds to avoid really significant trunk rot.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

Time to clean up the old pruning scars, cut back and thin the growth.



Done for now. These trees should be wired in spring as soon as the leaves harden. Lignified branches don't take the wire well. They're brittle and the wood can crack and separate easily. Better to add movement when the shoots are green and let the movement lignify into place.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

Here's another. This is a smaller juniper I collected. I'm sorry to admit that I didn't take very good care of it in the beginning. I left it in heavy soil - it stayed way too wet and eventually rotted. It caught my eye one day and I put my finger right through the trunk. The bark was pretty much all that was left. I carved away all of the rot and repotted it. Didn't know what to do with it until the next repotting season when I noticed a semi-cascade in that mess of a tree. Wish I had some photo's from those days - you wouldn't believe where this started.

Anyway here's a picture from this summer. I think it was the 2nd wiring:



It takes to wire well when the branches are green - put the movement in during the summer. Let the shoots grow long and watch for the wire to cut in. Remove the wire when it does and wire new shoots into place - Yaupon will throw shoots all summer.



Scott

 

[markyscott]

After a summers worth of growth, time for fall thinning.



Do I like that apex? Seems kind of straight - no taper.



Nope - off with it's head.



Much better.

Next is cutback. I'll do this in early spring. February here in Houston.

Scott

 

[sorce]

Crazy foliage on that Juniper!

I didn't buy the rights......

Sorce

 

[Adair M]

The question I have is when are you going to graft Shimpaku on it?

 

[JudyB]

If juni's look like that, I will have to change my stance and get a few.
I like what you've done, especially like the changes to the smaller one.

 

[markyscott]

The question I have is when are you going to graft Shimpaku on it?

I really don't think I can match your skills at interspecies grafting. But I wonder - wouldn't it look better with Ume? I mean think about the flowers. Maybe I can talk you into a visit and you can show me how it's done.

S

 

[markyscott]

If juni's look like that, I will have to change my stance and get a few.
I like what you've done, especially like the changes to the smaller one.

I didn't know what you guys were talking about until I re-read my posts and saw the typo.

For the record - it's not a juniper.

And thanks for the feedback Judy - that one has certainly changed a lot. I wish I had some early pictures of it from those days. I guess I saw no potential until I flipped it on its side. But the cascading branch is the former apex. It's a couple of years further along than the big one - on that one the entire branch structure has to be rebuilt.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

I really do wonder why they're not more commonly used. They are native, widespread, easy to collect, relatively pest and disease free, small leaves, twiggy habit, and respond well to bonsai culture.

Here's one of Jonas'

http://bonsaitonight.com/2015/08/18/yaupon-holly-cutback-2/

Great trees.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

One issue to be careful of is its cold hardiness. Although common in its native range - it is fairly geographically restricted.



This plant likes it hot. It probably has to be protected it colder areas.

What is that spot in Mexico? Is that the Chiapas Highlands? I wonder how it got there.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

Deadwood on Yaupon is not easy to maintain. The wood is soft and gets punky really easy. I treat mine with this:

http://www.rotdoctor.com

About every 3-4 or so years.

It goes on as a thin liquid which gets absorbed easily into the wood. When it hardens it does not give the wood an unnatural color or texture. I've only used it on the Yaupon.

Scott

 

[Adair M]

I really don't think I can match your skills at interspecies grafting. But I wonder - wouldn't it look better with Ume? I mean think about the flowers. Maybe I can talk you into a visit and you can show me how it's done.

S

Well, I could come over and show you, but then I'd have to kill ya. Can't having anyone knowing my secrets, ya know! Lol!!

Really good work you've done there.

Speaking of grafting, real grafting, there's a cool tree at the local bonsai shop I'd love to get and change the foliage on:



Wonderful deadwood! It's an "Alaskan Cypress". But the foliage is really coarse. It needs to be grafted with Shimpaku or Hinoki.

Would you attempt it?

 

[Adair M]

Well, I could come over and show you, but then I'd have to kill ya. Can't having anyone knowing my secrets, ya know! Lol!!

Really good work you've done there.

Speaking of grafting, real grafting, there's a cool tree at the local bonsai shop I'd love to get and change the foliage on:

View attachment 91956

Wonderful deadwood! It's an "Alaskan Cypress". But the foliage is really coarse. It needs to be grafted with Shimpaku or Hinoki.

Would you attempt it?

And whoever potted that tree is absolutely clueless on how to wire a tree into a pot! Please folks, don't do that way!

Wrong shaped pot, too.

 

[markyscott]

Well, I could come over and show you, but then I'd have to kill ya. Can't having anyone knowing my secrets, ya know! Lol!!

Really good work you've done there.

Speaking of grafting, real grafting, there's a cool tree at the local bonsai shop I'd love to get and change the foliage on:

View attachment 91956

Wonderful deadwood! It's an "Alaskan Cypress". But the foliage is really coarse. It needs to be grafted with Shimpaku or Hinoki.

Would you attempt it?

Well it's a beautiful tree no doubt. But Alaskan cypress is Cupressua nootkantensis according to Wikipedia. Is that right? Will it take a juniper graft? Is there anyway to stop you from building all of these Frankenstein trees?

Scott

 

[Adair M]

Well it's a beautiful tree no doubt. But Alaskan cypress is Cupressua nootkantensis according to Wikipedia. Is that right? Will it take a juniper graft? Is there anyway to stop you from building all of these Frankenstein trees?

Scott

It might be an "Northern White Cedar", Thuja occidentalis.

There is a label that says it's an "Northern White Cedar", collected from Michigan. The shop owner told me it's an "Alaskan Cedar".

Whatever.

It would look better with Ume flowers!

 

[markyscott]

It might be an "Northern White Cedar", Thuja occidentalis.

There is a label that says it's an "Northern White Cedar", collected from Michigan. The shop owner told me it's an "Alaskan Cedar".

Whatever.

It would look better with Ume flowers!

Whether it's Thuja or Cupressa, I'm sure of one thing - any trees with the words "Alaskan", "Northern", "Arctic", or Alpine" in the name will die in Houston. So as much as I like the tree, I won't fight you for it. And I'd guess it would be hard to graft Juniperus or Chamaecyparis to it.

Is Thuja occidentalis = Eastern White Cedar? Can't you manage the native foliage?

Scott

 

[Dav4]

It might be an "Northern White Cedar", Thuja occidentalis.

There is a label that says it's an "Northern White Cedar", collected from Michigan. The shop owner told me it's an "Alaskan Cedar".

Whatever.

It would look better with Ume flowers!

That sounds like thuja...arborvitae. I'm pretty sure you can graft hinoki to thuja...I say go for it, Adair! You need bigger trees. I can totally see this sticking out of the side window of the tesla...

 

[markyscott]

But back to Yaupon. Here's an interesting fact - the species is dioecious. That means that there are both male and female versions. The one with berries is female. When you buy one from a nursery, it's almost always female because it has berries. And the berries are cool:



The Yaupon here provide some really nice color in the fall.

But when you collect one from the wild it's hit or miss as the berries are gone by collecting season. At any rate, it's hard to be choosy about berries when you're selecting material for bonsai potential. I'm pretty sure the little cascade above is male - jury is still out on the big one. But Adair brought up grafting - anyone ever try grafting female branches onto a male Yaupon? I mean if Bruce Jenner can change sex, why not my Yaupon? We live in a pretty liberated society now - would a transjender Yaupon be accepted at a bonsai show?

Scott