Is this Camellia even Bonsaiable?

[Carol 83]

I got a Camellia "Yule Tide" for Christmas and was so pleased with it, I ordered a "Buttons and Bows" from Nuccios. They actually suggested it, saying it would be a good candidate to be containerized. It's a nice healthy plant, but I have doubts about it's future as bonsai. The leaves are much bigger than the Yule Tide and trunk has nothing interesting. Maybe it's only future is as a potted plant, as it would not be hardy in the ground here. Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Stop thinking that your bonsai are limited to looking like trees. I bought some because I wanted the flowers. I'll do my best to make them look like trees, but I'll take what I can get. After we have 50 or 100 or some number that look like trees we can be forgiven for expanding the envelope... Think of the great pictures we can post!

 

[Shibui]

Any tree can become a bonsai. The real question is how much time and effort it will take to get from where you are to where you want to be. Camellias I have worked with are very slow to grow and develop. They can make nice bonsai but I think there is a reason there are few shown large leaves, long internodes and slow development are just a few of the reasons.
That should not stop anyone from playing with camellias as container plants or as potential bonsai.
enjoy the journey, enjoy the flowers. If you end up with a good bonsai camellia that will be a bonus.

 

[sorce]

Stop thinking that your bonsai are limited to looking like trees.

That made me think about what the first trees were, and how nobody looks down on someone that keeps a Model-T looking sharp. Nothing wrong at all with having a joy for what you have a joy for!

Camellia is the girl buying them gas station wigs I was talking about, that's all I know about her.

Caaaaaarollll....I want to send you that balloon flower before it grows......I know I know.....but it belongs with you!....next year?

Sorce

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Can it be a bonsai? Yes. But the bigger question is "how long will it take?"

Camellia leaves don't reduce well, and you have to be careful about the timing of your work or else you might prune away the flower buds. They work best as larger scale trees, and camellias don't grow super fast or bulk up as fast as, say, elms do. I would stick it in the ground, and wire the trunk line while it is young, and see how it looks in a number of years.

 

[Carol 83]

Can it be a bonsai? Yes. But the bigger question is "how long will it take?"
willdprobably
Camellia leaves don't reduce well, and you have to be careful about the timing of your work or else you might prune away the flower buds. They work best as larger scale trees, and camellias don't grow super fast or bulk up as fast as, say, elms do. I would stick it in the ground, and wire the trunk line while it is young, and see how it looks in a number of years.

I don't think ground growing is an option. The Missouri Botanical Plant Guide warns they would have severe dieback here and aren't really a good choice for our climate. Knowing that, I bought it anyway, because, the flowers...

 

[Carol 83]

bought some because I wanted the flowers

Guilty of that as well.

 

[Carol 83]

Any tree can become a bonsai. The real question is how much time and effort it will take to get from where you are to where you want to be. Camellias I have worked with are very slow to grow and develop. They can make nice bonsai but I think there is a reason there are few shown large leaves, long internodes and slow development are just a few of the reasons.
That should not stop anyone from playing with camellias as container plants or as potential bonsai.
enjoy the journey, enjoy the flowers. If you end up with a good bonsai camellia that will be a bonus.

Sound advice. I'll just let it grow this year and hopefully get some blooms this winter/next spring. After all, I did buy it for the flowers.

 

[Paradox]

I also bought one for the flowers. I bought one in a 3 gallon container and I was a bit surprised at how tall the one I got is.
It is 3 feet tall! lol. They are supposedly hardy here but not sure if I want to plant it out or keep it a container plant.

 

[Carol 83]

I also bought one for the flowers. I bought one in a 3 gallon container and I was a bit surprised at how tall the one I got is.
It is 3 feet tall! lol. They are supposedly hardy here but not sure if I want to plant it out or keep it a container plant.

Yeah, mine is larger that I expected also. I'll keep it in a container, just to be safe. Not sure it will ever be bonsai, but I will still enjoy the flowers.

 

[Deleted member 32750]

Camellia is definitely bonsaiable and is a pretty popular species in Japan for bonsai. Here are a few pictures of camellia bonsai that I saved on Instagram for inspiration. The Camellia in the last picture is from the Omiya Bonsai Museum and is my favorite variety called tomonoura.

also Bjorn has a video on YouTube on camellia bonsai. I think it’s titled 3 species for broadleaf bonsai

 

[Deleted member 32750]

Also the leaves on your plant look normal for a camellia bonsai compared to the ones in the pictures i posted

 

[Carol 83]

Also the leaves on your plant look normal for a camellia bonsai compared to the ones in the pictures i posted

I have a "Yule Tide" in a bonsai pot (Christmas gift card purchase). And the leaves of the new one are so much larger... But prettier flowers, very delicate, double blooms. The Yule Tide has big, brash bright red blooms, but pretty also. Thanks for showing what can be done!

 

[Forsoothe!]

I bought two that are listed as miniatures, whatever that means. I'm hoping that they have Azalea-size leaves, but I'll take whatever they are. Flowers are my thing now that I'm forced to down-size to things I can carry. That gets and will get smaller every year until they accompany me out the door...

 

[Deleted member 32750]

I bought two that are listed as miniatures, whatever that means. I'm hoping that they have Azalea-size leaves, but I'll take whatever they are. Flowers are my thing now that I'm forced to down-size to things I can carry. That gets and will get smaller every year until they accompany me out the door...
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I love that white flower variety. I’m not sure if it’s possible to get them down to azalea size leaves. I could definitely be wrong but I’ve never seen one with leaves that small

 

[Potawatomi13]

Personal opinion is YES! Have seen sasanqua Camellias have small leaves and smaller flowers than regular Camellias and also come in contorted form. Roots may need Winter protection. Only one I ever had froze one hard Winter/Spring!