Rosemary Bonsai, some inspiring examples

[aidan13]

I have always been intrigued by the possibility of using rosemary as bonsai material. I am fairly new to bonsai, but it seems to me that, while admittedly unconventional, the pros of rosemary outweigh the cons.
It is fast growing, develops a very interesting bark, is naturally twisty and gnarly, and is very easy (in my experience) to care for. I feel like it would be perfect learning material especially because it is so fast growing compared to actual trees because beginners such as myself could experiment with and learn techniques and see the results in months, or possibly a year or two, rather than years and years or even decades.
Do any other members have experience with using rosemary as bonsai material? I have looked up the older threads on the topic, but most were from a while back, so I thought I post a new one.

Here some examples of rosemary bonsai that I've managed to dredge up from the web; some are actually pretty impressive!

 

[Brian Underwood]

Rosemary can make some really cool trees indeed, though they do have a couple drawbacks. They tend to be very brittle making wiring difficult, and they can have some unexpected dieback. But as you said, the pros outweigh the cons. It would be easiest to collect older specimens from yards, hedges, planters and the like rather than starting from seed or seedling. Most of what I have seen as potential material all the way to finished trees are those that lend themselves most easily to literati or cascades. You can also find some older plants at various nurseries. I know Lone Pine here in Sonoma County has quite a few. If you can find one, give it a shot!

 

[KennedyMarx]

I have some seeds germinating so I can try to train a couple over the next couple of years. I plan on wiring the whips to get some movement and then letting it grow wild before cutting it back. Hopefully starting them out in bonsai soil will prevent any issues with roots.

 

[monza]

Do they back bud easy? Can the thicker branches be bent? There is a local greenhouse / tree farm (not bonsai) that has some old gnarly looking rosemary that are neglected making them to long and lanky for bonsai with out some serious work. They have not for sale signs on them, but every thing is for sale...

 

[Brian Underwood]

Most of the time they can, but sometimes they're just too brittle. Next time you find one, give a bend to the branch to see for yourself. The very best way of learning this art is doing it.

 

[Cadillactaste]

ABCarve I believe has quite success with rosemary, I too have been contemplating one. They winter hard in my zone...so I fear I can't winter them well. But have seen success with zones colder than my own...successful in an Unheated building.

Here is one of his that I really love...

After a pruning...

One I found online...

This one I posted about here somewhere...

 

[jkd2572]

I bought one after christmas that was being sold as a living Christmas tree. On December 26th they are worthless to the nursery. The price went from $60 to $20. I did an extensive root reduction to get it into a bonsai pot. Waiting to see if it lives. Waiting on new growth. The roots were very tiny and hard to try to comb out without tearing them off. What attracts me to Rosemary is the trunks and bark looks like a very old tree. Waiting to see if my cool little clump lives. If anyone has any insight on root work on these I'm all ears. If this one does not make it i will try again next year after christmas. I noticed the same root problem this year with a couple of Chinese quince I worked with for the first time.

 

[Cadillactaste]

This post did it for me...I caved...and got a rosemary. I have read many online posts and they have had success in a unheated building wintering in zones colder than my own. So we shall see.

 

[GrimLore]

This post did it for me...I caved...and got a rosemary. I have read many online posts and they have had success in a unheated building wintering in zones colder than my own. So we shall see.

It will do just fine for you. I am doing a nursery crawl in two weeks and will probably get one if available. I have talked to a few people and they seem to agree they are brittle as azaleas tend to be but they can be worked given time and patience.

Grimmy

 

[jkd2572]

I'm still waiting to see if my cool little clump pulls through and starts growing. Like I said before. The bark on these guys is terrific. Still green. Fingers crossed.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I'm still waiting to see if my cool little clump pulls through and starts growing. Like I said before. The bark on these guys is terrific. Still green. Fingers crossed.

Sounds promising...

 

[TrunkTickler]

I'm still waiting to see if my cool little clump pulls through and starts growing. Like I said before. The bark on these guys is terrific. Still green. Fingers crossed.

Did it survive? I've herd their roots are very finicky

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I've heard their roots are very finicky

I have always struggled with them... though they seem to grow like weeds around here and thrive on neglect.

Here's one growing in a planter in downtown Laguna Beach. I don't think it gets any water except seasonal rain

 

[BrianBay9]

Did it survive? I've herd their roots are very finicky

I've killed more than one when repotting