Dogwood

[Mike123]

Picked up yesterday at garden center.
Thought might have potential for literati.
Love the flowers on dogwood. Idea? Suggestions? Potted it straight up. I think it should be slanted... also think one of the two top branches should go. Maybe?

 

[Mike123]

I like this for inspiration. It has a lot more movement in trunk. Maybe could get close to looking like it.

 

[Hartinez]

I think as your last picture shows, labeling your tree a specific “style”, may not be best. Your inspiration, I’d say, is not literati or windswept, but is a beautiful tree none the less. Nothing wrong with potting up a tree in a good container and training it to be nothing more than a beautiful specimen plant that brings you joy. Sometimes I feel trying to fit our nursery bought trees into style labels hinders our abilities at making nice compositions. Enjoy the tree!!

 

[Mike123]

I'm a little confused. The last picture you don't consider bonsai. If I'm guessing right? So i pot it up and leave it at that. Don't try to emulate a literati style or anything else having to do with bonsai? Basically your saying it does not have potential?

 

[Hartinez]

I'm a little confused. The last picture you don't consider bonsai. If I'm guessing right? So i pot it up and leave it at that. Don't try to emulate a literati style or anything else having to do with bonsai? Basically your saying it does not have potential?

It does have potential and IMO that last tree can be called bonsai. But our trees don’t always have to fit a label ie. Formal upright, clump, literati, windswept etc. Especially flowering trees that are prized for just that, their flowers. There are quite a few nice “bonsai” out there that don’t fit a “style” but are just wonderful trees.

 

[Mike123]

Ok so don't label it . See were the tree takes me. And it doesn't have to have a particular style.
Thought it was a good deal at twenty dollars.
Again love the flowers. Pictures never do justice.

 

[Mike123]

 

[Hartinez]

Ok so don't label it . See were the tree takes me. And it doesn't have to have a particular style.
Thought it was a good deal at twenty dollars.
Again love the flowers. Pictures never do justice.

Basically yeah. I think having a style can be great if the tree is leading you down that path, but in this case. Windswept is hard to make convincing and is often attempted by beginners with not much success and literati requires more age and character. Your tree does not lend well to either style. BUT ITS GOT BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS! So just go with that! Lay the branches out in a pleasing way, maybe similar to the example you showed and grow it and enjoy it. With time and age it will become a literati all on its own.

 

[penumbra]

I think as your last picture shows, labeling your tree a specific “style”, may not be best. Your inspiration, I’d say, is not literati or windswept, but is a beautiful tree none the less. Nothing wrong with potting up a tree in a good container and training it to be nothing more than a beautiful specimen plant that brings you joy. Sometimes I feel trying to fit our nursery bought trees into style labels hinders our abilities at making nice compositions. Enjoy the tree!!

Perfect! Why don't people get this?

 

[Mike123]

Perfect? Nothing's perfect. Thought it was a little confusing. That's all.

 

[Mike123]

 

[penumbra]

Perfect? Nothing's perfect. Thought it was a little confusing. That's all.

I feel the response I was answering was the perfect response.

 

[Tycoss]

I find your tree with the lean very elegant and appealing. Though they may be in fashion right now, not all bonsai need to be big trunked, ancient, macho looking things (and I love big trunked, ancient, macho looking things). If your tree has a different character, style it in a way that best shows that character.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I like your dogwood.
I could be wrong, but I think this is a grafted tree. Not a problem at all, except when wiring the tree DO NOT ever put wire across the graft. The graft union is a weak point and it is possible to break the scion free from the understock if you put tension across the graft union with wire or even guide wires.

The trunk is probably thin enough that you can still wire some curves into it. I would prune just one branch, only the upward moving part of the branch I have in blue, cut at the red. The curves I did in blue I realized are not "perfect", they should start above the graft, first curve to the right, then left then right, then over the top and cascade down on the left. Remember, no tension across the graft union, it is a weak point. As to the rear top branch in this photo, wire some wiggle into it, see if you can make it blend into the composition, a back branch adds depth to the composition.

And yes, it sometimes is limiting to label a tree as a style. Especially the name "Literati", because literati style carries a lot of "baggage" in that it has an original meaning and it has a watered down "Westernized meaning". The true literati styles as practiced in Japan and China are very specific, and "we westerners" just will not understand. LOL.

Weeping style trees are not based on literati, instead they are essentially informal uprights where the outermost branches cascade down, such as the blue line I drew. They can be very elegant and sparse, or they can be thick trunk squat homages to weeping willow. I like the light elegant lines you can create with your tree.

It will take some effort to wire bends into this trunk. If you can not get or use wire thick enough to bend it, you can use a rebar rod, and wooden blocks, to put a little wiggle in there. Check some of the juniper and pine threads on how to use rebar (Hribar) to bend branches.

 

[Mike123]

I like your dogwood.
I could be wrong, but I think this is a grafted tree. Not a problem at all, except when wiring the tree DO NOT ever put wire across the graft. The graft union is a weak point and it is possible to break the scion free from the understock if you put tension across the graft union with wire or even guide wires.

The trunk is probably thin enough that you can still wire some curves into it. I would prune just one branch, only the upward moving part of the branch I have in blue, cut at the red. The curves I did in blue I realized are not "perfect", they should start above the graft, first curve to the right, then left then right, then over the top and cascade down on the left. Remember, no tension across the graft union, it is a weak point. As to the rear top branch in this photo, wire some wiggle into it, see if you can make it blend into the composition, a back branch adds depth to the composition.

And yes, it sometimes is limiting to label a tree as a style. Especially the name "Literati", because literati style carries a lot of "baggage" in that it has an original meaning and it has a watered down "Westernized meaning". The true literati styles as practiced in Japan and China are very specific, and "we westerners" just will not understand. LOL.

Weeping style trees are not based on literati, instead they are essentially informal uprights where the outermost branches cascade down, such as the blue line I drew. They can be very elegant and sparse, or they can be thick trunk squat homages to weeping willow. I like the light elegant lines you can create with your tree.

It will take some effort to wire bends into this trunk. If you can not get or use wire thick enough to bend it, you can use a rebar rod, and wooden blocks, to put a little wiggle in there. Check some of the juniper and pine threads on how to use rebar (Hribar) to bend branches.

View attachment 294241

Thank you for the great information. I do like the elegant look also. I guess that could be a graft. I know there was a second branch there. But nonetheless I'll be careful. And thanks.again.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

If when you bought the dogwood, it had a specific cultivar name beyond flowering dogwood, then it most likely was grafted. Not seeing the tree in person, I am only guessing. But it does look grafted to me. The graft is low, it is not creating a visual problem, so it is perfectly acceptable as bonsai. Ignore anyone who tells you to air layer it off the graft.

 

[stu929]

I think that's a Cherokee princess dogwood btw.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Last photo of flowers very good. Love literati so not bad idea.