need help identifying

Ponch2

Seedling
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Huntington Beach, CA
Hello- I am new to this forum and a very new fan of bonsai. A friend of mine recently gave me this plant because she no longer wanted it. She did not know what is, but I think that it may be a wisteria plant. Can someone confirm if this seems to be correct?
I plan on removing the decorative rocks on the surface of the soil and repotting it, but would like to identify it and learn about it before I do anything.
Thank you for your help!
 

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I am not liking the color of the leaves. You might want to check it for spider mite.
 
Welcome to Crazy!

What is in the Avatar pic?

Looks pretty!

Sorce
 
Welcome to Crazy!

What is in the Avatar pic?

Looks pretty!

Sorce
Thanks sorce! I took that picture in Antigua, Guatemala. It is a picture of bougainvillea flowers floating in a stone mortar filled with water. I am attaching another nice one to show you with red rose petals that I also like.
 

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Thank you! The small Avatar pic was simply not enough! I love those water jugs, only @MACH5 has one I remember.
Not to mention I have a thing for my Guatemalan friends, and that Jack Daniels like Famosa! Some fighting beer!

Cheers!

Sorce
 
Mystery solved! I just confirmed that it is a Solanum Rantonnetii. Now to learn more about it...
 
Those are Bougainvillea bracts. The flowers are tiny and white.
 
Mystery solved! I just confirmed that it is a Solanum Rantonnetii. Now to learn more about it...

Great. Your leaves are a good match. The current accepted name is Lycianthes rantonnetii, you will find it in Wikipedia under the Lycianthes name. There is pretty good information on it in Wikipedia.

Question, are you able to grow this outdoors, or is it only going to be indoors? It will be easier to keep happy as an outdoor tree, though it is one of the trees marketed for indoors.

It is not really a tree, it is a woody herbaceous shrub in the tomato family. Related more to Goji berry (Lycianthes chinensis) and other desert shrubs.

Likes half day to full day of sun.

Likes to be kept moist, it is not a desert shrub, even though it is in a family with some desert dwelling species. As bonsai use a deciduous potting media mix, an all inorganic conifer mix is too dry for this species.

Probably best styled for bonsai by "clip & grow", as woody stems will be brittle. Branches that still have green bark will back bud. Stems that have developed brown rough bark will not back bud. So always keep some green on branches you want to keep.

It may sucker from the roots. IF you allow suckers 6 months or more to develop, you can remove them at the next repotting, and pot them up as separate plants.

Best is brought inside to avoid frosts, if your area does get cold.

Should root from cuttings.

Hope this helps.
 
Thank you for all the useful info Leo in N E Illinois! I live in California and keep most all of my plants outdoors. It is much happier now that I have repotted it and learned to better care for it. There is much regrowth and I am looking forward to seeing how it develops. I appreciate all of your tips and will keep them in mind!
 
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