Ligustrum obtusifolium - Japanese privit

[JEads]

I keep seeing amazing Ligustrum obtusifolium in a bunch of the Japanese show books, especially gafu-ten (shohin).
Since it is invasive and consuming the upper Midwest, y'all mind digging some of those out and sharing the wealth?
Help save your native forests to boot!

 

[Shibui]

Upper mid west I not the only place in the world where Ligustrum is invasive. We have an ongoing battle with these down here too.
The real trouble for bonsai is finding a suitable trunk. Most are tall and straight with no taper but I have found a couple that are worth working with.

Unfortunately it appears I am so embarrassed about growing weeds as bonsai I have not taken many photos. This is the only one I can find and that's a few years old now.
Tiny mame Ligustrum

 

[sevan]

I plan on digging up all the Japanese and Chinese privet in my yard over the next several weeks. At least a few will go in pots to play with, but the main goal is to remove them from my landscape.

 

[RJG2]

My weird lanky guy (from a hedge air layer):

 

[Shibui]

Here's one I dug a few weeks ago. Middle of summer here but it had to go. To add insult it was dug one afternoon then left sitting on the surface overnight and part of the next day with a dry root ball. Fresh shoots quite wilted by that stage.

When I got home I soaked the root ball in a tub of water for the rest of the day.


Combed out most of the soil before shortening roots, removing some redundant stems then potted up in the usual bonsai soil.

Then placed in semi shade under a bonsai bench.



It does have a chunky trunk after being chopped a few times then years of being trimmed to a ball shape after it refused to die.

Still refusing to die. 2 weeks in and all shoots are standing up and looking healthy.

 

[JEads]

Here's one I dug a few weeks ago. Middle of summer here but it had to go. To add insult it was dug one afternoon then left sitting on the surface overnight and part of the next day with a dry root ball. Fresh shoots quite wilted by that stage.
View attachment 471700View attachment 471701
When I got home I soaked the root ball in a tub of water for the rest of the day.
View attachment 471702View attachment 471703View attachment 471704

Combed out most of the soil before shortening roots, removing some redundant stems then potted up in the usual bonsai soil.
View attachment 471705View attachment 471706View attachment 471707View attachment 471708
Then placed in semi shade under a bonsai bench.

View attachment 471709

It does have a chunky trunk after being chopped a few times then years of being trimmed to a ball shape after it refused to die.

Still refusing to die. 2 weeks in and all shoots are standing up and looking healthy.

Now that is what I am taking about!
Dig hundreds more of those and sell them to us

 

[Shibui]

Dig hundreds more of those and sell them to us

Firstly, trees with trunks like this are rare. There are many thousamds of feral ligustrum around the area but almost all are tall and straight. We need someone to habitually trim them for around 10 years before I dig.
Second: It's a bloody long way from Yackandandah to Portland and I'd bet your Ag dept would not take kindly to someone importing weeds.

 

[JEads]

Firstly, trees with trunks like this are rare. There are many thousamds of feral ligustrum around the area but almost all are tall and straight. We need someone to habitually trim them for around 10 years before I dig.
Second: It's a bloody long way from Yackandandah to Portland and I'd bet your Ag dept would not take kindly to someone importing weeds.

Come on, you know you don't have anything better to do than prune a bunch of weeds for 10 years
I am sure that Portland won't mind, we just have to swap one to one for some invasive blackberries!

 

[Shibui]

I am sure that Portland won't mind, we just have to swap one to one for some invasive blackberries!

Must be a similar climate. We already have more feral blackberries (the thorny kind) than privet. Both are on the declared weed lists for this area. I can guarantee our Ag dept will get stroppy if they find blackberry plants in the mail.