Shumard Oak? (Quercus Shumardi)

[theta]

Has anyone seen one of these trained as bonsai, or have experience with these? Most oak bonsai I could find are either English Oak or Live Oak. Not sure how much of a difference there is with this species.

Thinking of chopping and growing out this one. Just waiting to see how much the price is going to drop this season.

 

[just.wing.it]

I'm not familiar, sorry, but that's some nice bark and decent beginning of nebari there!

 

[Quince]

I dig an oak as much as the next guy, but I think you would be hard pressed to find an oak with less suitable leaves. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try though.
Maybe someone in GA could steer you in the direction of some good local species.

 

[theta]

Ah crap not want I wanted to hear, haha. If it gets cheap enough I still may give it a try.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I only have a few bur oak seedlings, in their 4th season, monster big leaves and smooth bark. I believe that most of the North American oaks could be used for bonsai, if their coarse branch structure is taken into account. The red oak - black oak - pin oak group has relatively smooth bark, so they are probably less desirable. The white oaks, bur oaks and live oaks have coarse bark and are worth exploring. Of coarse, if you can find a gnarly old collectable stump with character any oak species, it is worth considering. Sadly, more than most trees, older oaks are seldom collectable. Grab one if you can find one.

Seedlings will take a lifetime to develop.

I believe I will more or less follow the calendar for techniques used for Quercus robur, English oak, as this is a northern oak, modify the calendar for your climate.

I did find summer repotting and summer collecting works fairly well for bur oak, seedlings.

Slow to develop is probably why North American oaks are not often seen.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I believe Shumard oak is in the red oak group, the plated bark you see now will likely not get much rougher. The fissures will always be shallow compared to a similar size & age white oak or live oak.

In my taste, it is rough enough bark, but if you want more dramatic bark, you need to switch groups, or find a stump with serious age.

 

[theta]

Thank you for all that info. I actually like the look of this bark, plenty rough for me.

 

[CasAH]

Look up chinquapin oak (Q. mullinberghii) Bonsai.

They are supposed to take better to transplanting than most oaks.

 

[Owen Reich]

Here's one that has been grown in a container for a number of years (in Albuquerque). It was kept in a fair amount of shade when I acquired it, so the leaves stayed smaller likely due to only fibrous roots and time.

Not tiny of course, but reasonable.

 

[Potawatomi13]

I'm not familiar, sorry, but that's some nice bark and decent beginning of nebari there!

See Burlingame Daimyo Oak. Largest of all leaves and great Bonsai. Big enough tree and leaf reduction make great Bonsai in time. Just not small one. Personally favor oaks greatly and applaud your instinct. If buying tree cut low for change of direction as trunk too straight/uninteresting.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Here's one that has been grown in a container for a number of years (in Albuquerque). It was kept in a fair amount of shade when I acquired it, so the leaves stayed smaller likely due to only fibrous roots and time.

Not tiny of course, but reasonable.

Does not shade make leaves larger in attempt collecting more sun energy?

 

[Owen Reich]

Yes. That's why I noted that Leaf size reduction is likely due to removal of large, thick roots and time grown in a confined space.