GRAY OAK (QUERCUS GRISEA)

[MACH5]

I purchased this oak from Alvaro Arciniegas (http://www.chobonsai.com) last year who has some awesome collected native material. I had asked him about two years ago that I was interested in something old and large with lots of character. Alvaro did not disappoint and eventually came up with the tree I was hoping for.

This oak was collected from a semi-arid rocky environment at an altitude of 7000 ft. under very harsh, windy conditions. According to the park rangers, the tree is most likely over 200 years old. During some years, these trees may not grow at all if conditions are unfavorable. The gray oak is a North American species native to the Southwest and it can be both, evergreen or deciduous.

The photos below were provided by Alvaro which shows the area where this tree was found and the other depicts the actual tree as it grew in the wild right before it was extracted.








The tree made a very long journey from Dallas all the way up to Chicago thanks to the wonderful Hector Quintero who brought it in a truck to the Mid-America Bonsai Exhibiton. From there, Jim Doyle picked it and drove it to his place at Nature's Way in PA. And finally, I took it from there and brought it to my place in NJ. Below are photos of the tree a few days after it made it home.








This past winter I gave the tree careful protection. Just recently I did a very light repot and placed it into a wooden box which should promote good growing conditions. Lots of drains holes were drilled at the bottom to ensure maximum drainage and oxygenation. I used pure pumice as my substrate of choice. This tree is about 40" high and 36" wide with a trunk that's 9 to 10" in diameter. As see in these next photos, the tree has exceptional character. At the moment the priority is to ensue the tree develops a good root mass and gets itself well established as a potted tree. This year it will be left as is with no design work done for at least another year or two. It will be placed in area of the garden that receives full sun most of the day.

 

[barrosinc]

Was waiting for this one!

 

[justBonsai]

Hey I've seen this tree in person! It is quite the monster. Hope it does well for you in your area. Super gnarly character.

 

[ml_work]

Awesome

 

[MACH5]

Hey I've seen this tree in person! It is quite the monster. Hope it does well for you in your area. Super gnarly character.

That's right Julian you did see it! It's a crazy gnarly tree for sure. I think (hope) it will do well up here as long as it's protected in winter. Keep fingers crossed regardless.

 

[justBonsai]

That's right Julian you did see it! It's a crazy gnarly tree for sure. I think (hope) it will do well up here as long as it's protected in winter. Keep fingers crossed regardless.

7,000 feet in Arizona mountains sound pretty cold. I think with winter protection you are probably fine. Looking forward to see how it develops. Quercus is my favorite genus for bonsai by far. Love oaks.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Wonderful, beautiful, outstanding, most excellent, supremely droolworthy tree. Love the 2 trees I have from Alvaro.

 

[Djtommy]

That’s is an awesome trunk, gonna be great.

 

[Tieball]

Fabulous oak! I’m looking forward to reading about and seeing your progress with the tree.

Note: That link in your first sentence does not seem to exist.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Looks really great, what a trunk!, wish I could have been there to help!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Dang...what a beast! Such gnarly character from Mother Nature beating at it all the years of its life in its last location. Going to be fun to watch this project of yours. You are so talented...you surely will do this tree Justice.

 

[rockm]

I got something similar to this one from Alvaro last May.

I am not all that confident this species is hardy here on the east coast. There is a big difference between 7,000 feet in Arizona cold and 500 to 1,000 feet in New Jersey or N. Va. cold. Primarily it is the huge difference in humidity and precipitation. Both are not all that common at elevation in the desert southwest (which is why it's a desert). I've spent time in Arizona. It ain't New Jersey or Virginia, especially at altitude. Cold is one thing, cold and wet is another.

I've noticed my tree wasn't all that happy with the summer humidity here. I'd note that this tree looks to be behaving the same way mine has--note the leaves -- That partial browning of the leaves (and scant leaf presence on the tree--there should be more) could be a fungal thing. Mine started doing that too a couple of weeks after I got it home from Texas.

I have my fingers crossed mine will begin growing again in the spring. It did put out several vigorous extension shoots during the summer and it also has some promising resting buds. However, it has also lost some branching on some locations. Additionally, that attractive dead wood created in hundreds of years of high desert arid air and intense unfiltered sun is getting punky and soft (and in some cases falling off) because of the humidity and less intense sunlight here. It doesn't have the inherent resins that high desert conifers have in their deadwood that act as a natural preservative.

I hope this spring will bring vigorous new growth and a healthier tree, but at this point I won't be convinced this species is reliable in the east as bonsai. Three years from now with appreciable growth, I'll be more confident it is.

And by the way, I'm not knocking Alvaro. He has STUNNING material--my brother lives literally a mile from him in Dallas. My sister in law picked up my tree at his place in person last May. She says Alvaro's yard is FULL of amazing things. I really want this tree to be successful here in the east. It is not used at all in bonsai. Those that are using it are pioneering how to care for it and discovering what works and what doesn't.

The precedent for this species is most likely the California Junipers that came east back in the 90's. Most of those tree died off in the beginning because no one knew how to care for them. There are stories of some owners east of the Mississippi subscribing to Southern California small town newspapers to keep up with the weather. They watered according to the newspaper weather. Don't know if that's true, but I know some folks obsessed over when to water their trees. I also know the National Arb came damn close to losing one of theirs and had to nurse it back to health with a freer draining soil and intense care. Finally, they found a soil mix that works and they don't have to worry about watering practices, since the soil cant' really be overwatered.

That balance is what we will have to find with the initial grey oak trees coming east. It could take a while, it could take a year. Who knows...

 

[Lars Grimm]

I got something similar to this one from Alvaro last May.

I am not all that confident this species is hardy here on the east coast. There is a big difference between 7,000 feet in Arizona cold and 500 to 1,000 feet in New Jersey or N. Va. cold. Primarily it is the huge difference in humidity and precipitation. Both are not all that common at elevation in the desert southwest (which is why it's a desert). I've spent time in Arizona. It ain't New Jersey or Virginia, especially at altitude. Cold is one thing, cold and wet is another.

I've noticed my tree wasn't all that happy with the summer humidity here. I'd note that this tree looks to be behaving the same way mine has--note the leaves -- That partial browning of the leaves (and scant leaf presence on the tree--there should be more) could be a fungal thing. Mine started doing that too a couple of weeks after I got it home from Texas.

I have my fingers crossed mine will begin growing again in the spring. It did put out several vigorous extension shoots during the summer and it also has some promising resting buds. However, it has also lost some branching on some locations. Additionally, that attractive dead wood created in hundreds of years of high desert arid air and intense unfiltered sun is getting punky and soft (and in some cases falling off) because of the humidity and less intense sunlight here. It doesn't have the inherent resins that high desert conifers have in their deadwood that act as a natural preservative.

I hope this spring will bring vigorous new growth and a healthier tree, but at this point I won't be convinced this species is reliable in the east as bonsai. Three years from now with appreciable growth, I'll be more confident it is.

And by the way, I'm not knocking Alvaro. He has STUNNING material--my brother lives literally a mile from him in Dallas. My sister in law picked up my tree at his place in person last May. She says Alvaro's yard is FULL of amazing things. I really want this tree to be successful here in the east. It is not used at all in bonsai. Those that are using it are pioneering how to care for it and discovering what works and what doesn't.

The precedent for this species is most likely the California Junipers that came east back in the 90's. Most of those tree died off in the beginning because no one knew how to care for them. There are stories of some owners east of the Mississippi subscribing to Southern California small town newspapers to keep up with the weather. They watered according to the newspaper weather. Don't know if that's true, but I know some folks obsessed over when to water their trees. I also know the National Arb came damn close to losing one of theirs and had to nurse it back to health with a freer draining soil and intense care. Finally, they found a soil mix that works and they don't have to worry about watering practices, since the soil cant' really be overwatered.

That balance is what we will have to find with the initial grey oak trees coming east. It could take a while, it could take a year. Who knows...

I recently purchased a tree as well from Alvaro. The leaves have shown that same half browning but I believe that is due to transportation shock. I am very hopeful as well that it will survive here in North Carolina.

 

[JudyB]

NOW, you've got my attention. Awe inspiring trunk.

 

[Gary McCarthy]

KILLER bark!!!

 

[MACH5]

Fabulous oak! I’m looking forward to reading about and seeing your progress with the tree.

Note: That link in your first sentence does not seem to exist.

Thanks Tieball! Sorry, try this http://www.chobonsaiyamadori.com

 

[aml1014]

I recently purchased a tree as well from Alvaro. The leaves have shown that same half browning but I believe that is due to transportation shock. I am very hopeful as well that it will survive here in North Carolina.

I have a couple gray oaks from him and they all do it every winter, as do the gray oaks out in the wild I've seen. They always drop come spring and new growth comes in just fine.

Aaron

 

[augustine]

A real beauty' as is rocky's
I think you're giving it the best start by using pumice. Good luck and enjoy, that's a tree for a Kimura workshop!

 

[MACH5]

I got something similar to this one from Alvaro last May.

I am not all that confident this species is hardy here on the east coast. There is a big difference between 7,000 feet in Arizona cold and 500 to 1,000 feet in New Jersey or N. Va. cold. Primarily it is the huge difference in humidity and precipitation. Both are not all that common at elevation in the desert southwest (which is why it's a desert). I've spent time in Arizona. It ain't New Jersey or Virginia, especially at altitude. Cold is one thing, cold and wet is another.

I've noticed my tree wasn't all that happy with the summer humidity here. I'd note that this tree looks to be behaving the same way mine has--note the leaves -- That partial browning of the leaves (and scant leaf presence on the tree--there should be more) could be a fungal thing. Mine started doing that too a couple of weeks after I got it home from Texas.

I have my fingers crossed mine will begin growing again in the spring. It did put out several vigorous extension shoots during the summer and it also has some promising resting buds. However, it has also lost some branching on some locations. Additionally, that attractive dead wood created in hundreds of years of high desert arid air and intense unfiltered sun is getting punky and soft (and in some cases falling off) because of the humidity and less intense sunlight here. It doesn't have the inherent resins that high desert conifers have in their deadwood that act as a natural preservative.

I hope this spring will bring vigorous new growth and a healthier tree, but at this point I won't be convinced this species is reliable in the east as bonsai. Three years from now with appreciable growth, I'll be more confident it is.

And by the way, I'm not knocking Alvaro. He has STUNNING material--my brother lives literally a mile from him in Dallas. My sister in law picked up my tree at his place in person last May. She says Alvaro's yard is FULL of amazing things. I really want this tree to be successful here in the east. It is not used at all in bonsai. Those that are using it are pioneering how to care for it and discovering what works and what doesn't.

The precedent for this species is most likely the California Junipers that came east back in the 90's. Most of those tree died off in the beginning because no one knew how to care for them. There are stories of some owners east of the Mississippi subscribing to Southern California small town newspapers to keep up with the weather. They watered according to the newspaper weather. Don't know if that's true, but I know some folks obsessed over when to water their trees. I also know the National Arb came damn close to losing one of theirs and had to nurse it back to health with a freer draining soil and intense care. Finally, they found a soil mix that works and they don't have to worry about watering practices, since the soil cant' really be overwatered.

That balance is what we will have to find with the initial grey oak trees coming east. It could take a while, it could take a year. Who knows...

I'm with you Mark. I am not so sure they are really hardy up in the Northeast. To be safe I gave it plenty of protection this winter and kept it on the dry side.

Based on your experience, I was also thinking about applying a wood hardener. I'd hate to start loosing it, as it the biggest feature and appeal for many of these oaks.

Regarding the leaves, it is possible it was a fungus but my take on it is that it was simply leaves as they were just shutting down for the year. It was already September when I brought the tree home. I have seen this happen also with beech. Also Alvaro said leaves look tired and tattered due to the long journey and some were falling off. Below is the tree a few weeks before it was shipped out with the tree looking quite green and healthy.








I wish you and I (and anyone else) success with these beautiful trees and hopefully keep sharing best horticultural practices as it relates to this species, particularly those of us residing outside its natural habitat. Hopefully we will figure this thing out together.

 

[MACH5]

I have a couple gray oaks from him and they all do it every winter, as do the gray oaks out in the wild I've seen. They always drop come spring and new growth comes in just fine.

Aaron

Thank you Aaron. That's reassuring to know.