Native Species Only

[barguy8194]

I’m getting into this year and collection time is approaching. I’m in northern New Hampshire (USA) and I’ve decided that (with the exception of playing with Sequoiadendron giganteum (Giant Sequoias) because... well, I want to... ) I only want to work with species native to my home range (50 or so miles radius).

That leaves me with a couple options that I know will make interesting pieces, but from my reading, many are difficult to work with in some way.

Here’s what I’ve mostly narrowed it down to:

- Yellow and paper birch (betula alleghaniensis and papyrifera)
- sugar, silver, and red maple (Acer saccharum, saccharinum, and rubrum)
- eastern white and red pine (Pinus strobus and resinosa)
- red, white, and black spruce (Picea rubens, glauca, and mariana)
- Eastern white cedar (thuja occidentalis)
- balsam fir (abies balsamea)
- common and creeping juniper and eastern red cedar/red juniper (juniperus communis, horizontalis, and virginiana)
- eastern hemlock (tsuga canadensis)
- white ash (fraxinus americanus)
- red and white oak (quercus alba and rubra)


There are several others (a couple cherries, black walnut, some willows, tamarack/larch) and this is by far not a comprehensive list, but there’s a pretty good list.

Any “masters” want to pick a couple from the list and make suggestions about which ones to avoid?

 

[Tbwilson33]

You forgot beech! I grew up in NH. Good luck maybe post some updates on this thread.

 

[Colorado]

I’m certainly no master, but I really admire your dedication to native species. Very cool!

I’m planning to collect some eastern red cedar from Missouri when I make a trip out there this summer. I have no idea about black walnut’s viability in bonsai but it sounds quite interesting. Good luck!

 

[coltranem]

I am no master but you might be able try to find some hornbeam as well. Larch are pretty common as Bonsai.

 

[Aeast]

I'm in the same thinking as you, as I only have native species on my bench (except for one spruce).

Heres what I focus on:

Beech
Hornbeam ( both species )
Hawthorne
Hemlock
White oak
Birch
Blackgum
Would love a larch
Trying sugar maple

 

[Melospiza]

Great idea to go with native species, but have read that some on your list are not great for bonsai. Your mileage might vary, of course. For e.g., native maples, red oak, ash, eastern pines and red-cedar tend to be coarse (long internodes or large leaves) or don't heal, birches are short-lived and die back, American beech does not tolerate root work. If you decide to pick these, hope you can make the best of these features. IMO, some fantastic native species for bonsai are American hornbeam, American hophornbeam, any hackberry that is hardy in your zone, American elm and some of the other conifers on your list!

 

[Vance Wood]

You forgot Eastern Larch and Pitch Pine, both very bonsaiable material and not too difficult to harvest.

 

[0soyoung]

I’m getting into this year and collection time is approaching. I’m in northern New Hampshire (USA) and I’ve decided that (with the exception of playing with Sequoiadendron giganteum (Giant Sequoias) because... well, I want to... ) I only want to work with species native to my home range (50 or so miles radius).

Here’s what I’ve mostly narrowed it down to:

- Yellow and paper birch (betula alleghaniensis and papyrifera)

Birch have a bad reputation for dropping branches, yet there are a few nice birch bonsai around. Paper birch seedlings are lots of fun in small pots.

- sugar, silver, and red maple (Acer saccharum, saccharinum, and rubrum)

Most maple leaf sizes will reduce with the tree size. Again, seedlings in very small pots are fun (mini bonsai in 2 inch or smaller pots)

- eastern white and red pine (Pinus strobus and resinosa)

Strobus is very trying as bonsai, but takes to just about every foliage technique used in bonsai - give it a try.

- red, white, and black spruce (Picea rubens, glauca, and mariana)

Spruce are always good subjects. Bird's nest spruce from somebody's landscape can be a winner

- Eastern white cedar (thuja occidentalis)

Get a big trunked ole yamadori or don't bother

- balsam fir (abies balsamea)

Good

- common and creeping juniper and eastern red cedar/red juniper (juniperus communis, horizontalis, and virginiana)

They are all good if you find nice trunks

- eastern hemlock (tsuga canadensis)

YES

- white ash (fraxinus americanus)

dunno, but compound leaves can be trouble (even though you can reduce them to a leaflet, two, or three)

- red and white oak (quercus alba and rubra)

Old with gnarly bark, yes.

There are several others (a couple cherries,

yes

black walnut

NO, leaves are rediculous!

, some willows

meh,

tamarack/larch)

YES

and this is by far not a comprehensive list, but there’s a pretty good list.

yes, pretty good.


btw, don't worry about 'wasting time' - this is what bonsai is about.
Enjoy!

 

[barguy8194]

You forgot beech! I grew up in NH. Good luck maybe post some updates on this thread.

Yes! Forgot about beech. And Poplar... so many poplar... Definitely want to have a go with beech, but I don’t even want to attempt poplar, really.

 

[barguy8194]

Birch have a bad reputation for dropping branches, yet there are a few nice birch bonsai around. Paper birch seedlings are lots of fun in small pots.

I have read about them dropping branches and dying back quickly/easily... I would love an old, gnarly white or yellow birch, but I’m not sure I’ll have one anytime in the next few decades until my skills improve enough to keep one alive that long.

 

[Hyn Patty]

I'm working with some natives as well - common hackberry is a good one and very cold hardy. Eastern Hemlock I have one I am trying. Yellow Birch are very common here and I am going to try a few - perhaps for a forest clump. The way the roots snake around over rocks is outstanding! Muscular looking. Hornbeam I want but I haven't found any locally yet, still looking. I'm told Virginia pine is also a good one and I have those. Hadn't located one I like enough to collect yet. Some of our native plums I'm told are also good choices. Some great comments on this thread.

 

[barguy8194]

You forgot Eastern Larch and Pitch Pine, both very bonsaiable material and not too difficult to harvest.

I did mention eastern larch/tamarack (down at the bottom of the post, but I agree it should have been in with the rest up top). And I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t even know pitch pine were native to my area until you just mentioned them... thanks for the tip!

 

[Forsoothe!]

Sequoiadendron giganteum (Giant Sequoias) because... well, I want to... )

Very problematic for you to winter over. Not hardy to freezing roots like Dawn. They grow in range where winter brings very deep snow before the ground freezes more than a few inches deep. The trunk and above, which are full of sap all winter are somehow ( I do not understand how) not damaged by freezing in winter. I could speculate that the sap has a very low freezing point, or that the freezing periods in that region are shorter, or that magic is involved, none of which would be more than my idle speculation. Feel free make your own guesses. I do know that I had an exchange of thoughts with a guy in Indiana that could raise them for a couple years before they would winterkill. He'd been doing it for many years (OCD, Obsessive Repulsive Disorder which is very common in bonsai) and said they'd be OK until they got too big to mulch the roots enough, and/or a wicked winter blew through. He had tried more than one named variety.

 

[barguy8194]

Just went behind my house today and found this maple, pretty sure it was a sugar maple, that I cut a couple years ago to clear the view off my porch... Clearly it lived, and now stands about 18” tall and has a 2-3” trunk at the base, with what look like some interesting roots. May be interesting to play with if I can dig it out without killing it when the ground thaws in a couple weeks.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Just went behind my house today and found this maple, pretty sure it was a sugar maple, that I cut a couple years ago to clear the view off my porch... Clearly it lived, and now stands about 18” tall and has a 2-3” trunk at the base, with what look like some interesting roots. May be interesting to play with if I can dig it out without killing it when the ground thaws in a couple weeks.

I could never reduce the leaves, and I tried with an 8" one for many years until it quit.

 

[Soldano666]

I am no master bud I'd scratch most of that list. I am in central Maine and collect. Larch/tamarack, Crab apple, hawthorn, hornbeam. Those seem to perform the best. All the others have their issues, I've collected a few balsam fir but to not much success as far a development goes, Eastern white pine has stupid long needles, and does not reliably back bud, plus the bark takes a million years to age up, most native maples have long stems and big leaves, never tried only ready about, so never bothered. I've collected a few paper birch, they like to die back. Alot, and abort branches in a blink of an eye. Plus I believe it's a relatively short leaved species. Eastern red cedar is a Haven for cedar rust, esp if there is apple trees near by. 2 Miles away can be considered near by for fungal transmission. I'm going to graft some kishu to erc this spring and see how it goes. Maybe it will be more resistant to rust. That's just my short 5-6 years of observation digging native species.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

It’s always better to grow what grows best in your area.

 

[rockm]

If you're serious about staying with the northeast natives, investing in Nick Lenz "Bonsai From the Wild" book is probably wise. It's been out of print for a while, but it is an extensive, experienced-backed source of information from a "master" at collecting northeastern U.S. native species. Unfortunately, the book has a pretty high price tag these days--like $60-$75 for a paperback edition on Amazon.

It's a definitive work on what's worth collecting in the eastern U.S. (particularly in New England, since the author lives up there) and how to collect it. It has chapters on individual species, their likes dislikes and suitability and habits as bonsai. Many of the species you've listed and others you should consider are in it...

If you have $60, it's worth it.

 

[Anthony]

You can do what we did, went to the library in Lafayette, and found
a large book on plants, shrubs, trees of Louisiana.

Checked for all the branchy plants [ Celtis ] and checked the backyard.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[BackyardBonsai]

I admired those that can stay with trees that grow well in their area. This is a failproof but my problem is I like trees that are not common to my area. For some reason elms do not strike my fancy but they are everywhere. I guess human like challenge?