Collected Yaupon

[Tentakelaertje]

... would a transjender Yaupon be accepted at a bonsai show?

Scott

Well, if you are going to play that card, you will most certainly win, too!

 

[Rid]

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

View attachment 91880

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

How big is the pot in this pic?

 

[markyscott]

How big is the pot in this pic?

Hi Rid -

The pot is 21" wide. The trunk is about 7 1/2" at the soil line.

Here's another pic with reference for scaling.



Scott

 

[Rid]

Thanks!

 

[Adair M]

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

Scott,

I feel the same way about the "Northern" trees. It may live ok here in N GA,then again, it may not. I really don't like the current foliage. I'm pretty sure a Hinoki graft would take, but the tree is large, and it will require more work than I care to put into it.

I much prefer working with pines. And since I'm trying to limit the number of trees I have to care for, I'll let someone else work with this one. (My wife will be happier, too!)

Interesting question, Scott about grafting female onto make stock. That's the kind of thing John Kirby knows about.

 

[GroveKeeper]

I'd love to get my hands on a yaupon like that lol

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I like that big one. I dug 3 from an old landscape a few years ago; sold 2 and still have this one; also in a 21" pot:

Jonas' Yaupon is about as refined as any I've ever seen, and yours is on the way too. Usually they're just hedged; probably because they're such strong growers.

We have a few in our new front yard that I'll be digging out this spring. Nothing like these, but maybe approaching the 4" range. Definitely worth the effort.

 

[Dav4]

I've had my eye out for a yaupon worth collecting ever since I saw Brian's, but nothing so far...the search continues.

 

[markyscott]

I've had my eye out for a yaupon worth collecting ever since I saw Brian's, but nothing so far...the search continues.

It's hard to find a good one, but they're cool when you do.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

I like that big one. I dug 3 from an old landscape a few years ago; sold 2 and still have this one; also in a 21" pot:
View attachment 92039
Jonas' Yaupon is about as refined as any I've ever seen, and yours is on the way too. Usually they're just hedged; probably because they're such strong growers.

We have a few in our new front yard that I'll be digging out this spring. Nothing like these, but maybe approaching the 4" range. Definitely worth the effort.

Nice tree Brian. Now that you've posted it, I seem to recall you writing something on this before. I hedged my little one for a while as well, but the branches just ended up a jumbled mess. And it's not like you can straighten everything out after the shoots have gone woody - once lignified, they are as brittle as I have seen. But I like Jonas' results so I'm going to do it Jonas' way. So two years ago I cut nearly everything off and start again.

Here in Texas we live in an ocean of Yaupon, but I don't see them often used as bonsai.

Scott

 

[Rid]

I've had my eye out for a yaupon worth collecting ever since I saw Brian's, but nothing so far...the search continues.

I dug this one a few months ago dave, and I think it has a pretty good chance to survive, but won't know until spring. If it does live, and you like it,maybe we could work out a trade.
Ridley

 

[Anthony]

Mark,

grows well down here, but not local. Great shrub.
Thanks for showing.
Good Day
Anthony

* here is one that was badly damaged and trying to fix it.
Back is rotted out.

 

[just.wing.it]

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:

View attachment 91980

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

Just to be clear.... Is the yaupon holly different from the winterberry holly?

 

[markyscott]

Just to be clear.... Is the yaupon holly different from the winterberry holly?

I believe it is different. I think Winterberry is Ilex verticillata. Yaupon is Ilex vomitoria.

Winterberry is deciduous and lives in the NE. Yaupon is evergreen and lives in the SE.

Scott

 

[just.wing.it]

Thanks!
I have several deciduous winterberry trees along one side of the house.
This thread got me considering digging one up in a few years.

 

[Wee]

I dug 4 about 2 years ago....3 survived. Here is the one I consider to be the best....It has had ZERO work done to it after the initial potting. They all 3 will need to be transplanted this spring....The training pots are falling apart.

Brian

 

[markyscott]

I dug 4 about 2 years ago....3 survived. Here is the one I consider to be the best....It has had ZERO work done to it after the initial potting. They all 3 will need to be transplanted this spring....The training pots are falling apart.

Brian

They look as though they're growing well Brian. Thanks for sharing them. Looks like a nice tree. Glad to see other Yaupon with such good bonsai potential.

Scott

 

[markyscott]

Thanks!
I have several deciduous winterberry trees along one side of the house.
This thread got me considering digging one up in a few years.

I think Winterberry may adapt well to bonsai culture. Do others in your area grow them?

Scott

 

[Vin]

I dug 4 about 2 years ago....3 survived. Here is the one I consider to be the best....It has had ZERO work done to it after the initial potting. They all 3 will need to be transplanted this spring....The training pots are falling apart.

Brian

Finally, we get to see the progress on the BC!

 

[markyscott]

Summer work. First the big one - strong and full after the spring flush and the new growth is starting to lignify. Time for an intervention. Here's the before:



And after first wiring:


Still a long way to go, but I like the trunk.

S