The Five Year "Native Tree, Native Pot" Challenge!

[HorseloverFat]

then I moved to south Florida.

 

[Zerobear]

Parsley Leaf Hawthorne. Age 1 year from

Welcome to the Five Year "Native Tree, Native Pot" Challenge!

Simply said, this challenge is for you to produce bonsai from trees native to around where you live and to pot them up in a container from your country. The idea for this challenge is to push your creativity and allow you to appreciate and learn more about the species (and artists!) around you. Think outside of the box and have fun with it!

When?: You can start at any time, but your final submissions are due no later than December 31st, 2025.

How do I enter?:
- Please indicate in this thread that you plan on participating. When you have acquired your tree(s) you must also start a thread labeled "(5yr Native Tree Challenge) USERNAME's SPECIES" with the tree(s) you plan to work within the challenge.
- You can work with multiple trees, but only one planting can be submitted as your final display at the end of the challenge. Other trees that you finish will be considered Honorable Mentions.
- You must document progress with photos at least yearly. It is highly recommended that you document any major updates (because it's fun to watch).

Native Tree Rules:
1) The tree species you choose must be native (not introduced by man) to your country and within 200 miles of where you live at the time of submission. (Example: someone from New York cannot choose a Coastal Redwood).
2) Starting trees do not have an age limit, but they should ideally be untrained or a new project. We want to avoid someone submitting or buying a bonsai that's been worked on for the past 10 years.
3) There is no requirement for bonsai size or style or planting (if you want to go Mame or forest the more power to you!)
4) Companion plants are 100% not required. But if you want to extend your challenge, the same native rules apply to your plant and its pot.

Native Pot Rules:
1) Finishing the challenge requires potting the bonsai in a pot/container from your country.
2) You are allowed to make your own pot if you are creatively inclined but this is not required!
3) This container does not have to be a traditional bonsai pot shape but should artfully display your bonsai.
4) Completely natural containers (Rock slabs, Woods) can be used if they are sourced locally.

Spoiler: More Clarification on Native Trees

The following is based on questions from members:
- Your Tree does not have to be unique or endemic to your country.
- The offspring of your non-native trees are not allowed.
- Common does not mean native. A quick google search can tell you what their native range is.
- Invasive species should not be used.
- Cultivars of native species are allowed.
- Hybrids of a native species are allowed.
- Cultivars of non-native species that were discovered in your country are not allowed. (Example: Kingsville Boxwood can't be used in Maryland)
- Bonchi is allowed, if native.

Parsley Leaf Hawthorne from plant sale at Crosby Arboretum in Picayune, MS, fall 2022 plant sale. Currently in ground.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Parsley Leaf Hawthorne. Age 1 year from

Parsley Leaf Hawthorne from plant sale at Crosby Arboretum in Picayune, MS, fall 2022 plant sale. Currently in ground.

Gnarly!!!

Twill be awesome!

 

[Zerobear]

Parsley Leaf Hawthorne from plant sale at Crosby Arboretum in Picayune, MS, fall 2022 plant sale. Currently in ground.

 

[ShadyStump]

Parsley Leaf Hawthorne from plant sale at Crosby Arboretum in Picayune, MS, fall 2022 plant sale. Currently in ground.

Pretty cool how you brought that back from the future, but wouldn't it have worked better if you'd nabbed an older one?

 

[Zerobear]

Pretty cool how you brought that back from the future, but wouldn't it have worked better if you'd nabbed an older

OK, if you won't believe fall of 2022, would you believe 2021? Sorry - my bad. Yes, it is really small, but it was what they had, and I wanted it. I actually have two of them, but the other one dropped all of its leaves in the cold. I think it will be OK, but it is only a stick in the mud right now. Looking forward to the next few years. They have nice blooms in the spring and make fruit, so we'll see.

 

[River's Edge]

Welcome to the Five Year "Native Tree, Native Pot" Challenge!

Simply said, this challenge is for you to produce bonsai from trees native to around where you live and to pot them up in a container from your country. The idea for this challenge is to push your creativity and allow you to appreciate and learn more about the species (and artists!) around you. Think outside of the box and have fun with it!

When?: You can start at any time, but your final submissions are due no later than December 31st, 2025.

How do I enter?:
- Please indicate in this thread that you plan on participating. When you have acquired your tree(s) you must also start a thread labeled "(5yr Native Tree Challenge) USERNAME's SPECIES" with the tree(s) you plan to work within the challenge.
- You can work with multiple trees, but only one planting can be submitted as your final display at the end of the challenge. Other trees that you finish will be considered Honorable Mentions.
- You must document progress with photos at least yearly. It is highly recommended that you document any major updates (because it's fun to watch).

Native Tree Rules:
1) The tree species you choose must be native (not introduced by man) to your country and within 200 miles of where you live at the time of submission. (Example: someone from New York cannot choose a Coastal Redwood).
2) Starting trees do not have an age limit, but they should ideally be untrained or a new project. We want to avoid someone submitting or buying a bonsai that's been worked on for the past 10 years.
3) There is no requirement for bonsai size or style or planting (if you want to go Mame or forest the more power to you!)
4) Companion plants are 100% not required. But if you want to extend your challenge, the same native rules apply to your plant and its pot.

Native Pot Rules:
1) Finishing the challenge requires potting the bonsai in a pot/container from your country.
2) You are allowed to make your own pot if you are creatively inclined but this is not required!
3) This container does not have to be a traditional bonsai pot shape but should artfully display your bonsai.
4) Completely natural containers (Rock slabs, Woods) can be used if they are sourced locally.

Spoiler: More Clarification on Native Trees

The following is based on questions from members:
- Your Tree does not have to be unique or endemic to your country.
- The offspring of your non-native trees are not allowed.
- Common does not mean native. A quick google search can tell you what their native range is.
- Invasive species should not be used.
- Cultivars of native species are allowed.
- Hybrids of a native species are allowed.
- Cultivars of non-native species that were discovered in your country are not allowed. (Example: Kingsville Boxwood can't be used in Maryland)
- Bonchi is allowed, if native.

Found something on my acreage, Ribes Sanguineum, Red Flowering Currant. Never worked with this species. Better late to the party than not attending! Dug up in early march.

 

[rollwithak]

Found something on my acreage, Ribes Sanguineum, Red Flowering Currant. Never worked with this species. Better late to the party than not attending! Dug up in early march.

What, no pic?!

 

[River's Edge]

What, no pic?!

 

[HorseloverFat]

View attachment 430539

Hey! I know that tree!

I love Ribes!

 

[COclimber89]

Hey all, I'd like to enter, just discovered the contest page here. Am I super screwed starting this far behind everyone? And if you just brought home a native western sand cherry from the nursery, what would your strategy be to get it into the best possible shape by 2025?

So far as I can tell, there's not a lot I can do until winter/spring to start development. I was considering taking off a few of the branches that emerge from the same whorl just to try to ward off swelling, but would I be compromising the tree's development by hard pruning this time of year?

Thanks for any input, this is my first deciduous tree. Assuming I can't do much until next spring, I would wait until the buds start to swell and then prune it waaaay back, leaving a branch (shortened) as the new trunk line, plus couple sacrifice branches up high. Work on new trunk, branches and ramification through 2023, repot in spring 2024, continue developing for ramification, cut the sacrifices early 2025, get as refined as possible in 2025 for final submission (photos in flower, fully flushed, and in fall colors/fruiting).

 

[misfit11]

I'm not a contestant in this contest, but does anyone else find it interesting that the person who started this contest hasn't been seen since October of last year?

 

[ShadyStump]

Hey all, I'd like to enter, just discovered the contest page here. Am I super screwed starting this far behind everyone? And if you just brought home a native western sand cherry from the nursery, what would your strategy be to get it into the best possible shape by 2025?

So far as I can tell, there's not a lot I can do until winter/spring to start development. I was considering taking off a few of the branches that emerge from the same whorl just to try to ward off swelling, but would I be compromising the tree's development by hard pruning this time of year?

Thanks for any input, this is my first deciduous tree. Assuming I can't do much until next spring, I would wait until the buds start to swell and then prune it waaaay back, leaving a branch (shortened) as the new trunk line, plus couple sacrifice branches up high. Work on new trunk, branches and ramification through 2023, repot in spring 2024, continue developing for ramification, cut the sacrifices early 2025, get as refined as possible in 2025 for final submission (photos in flower, fully flushed, and in fall colors/fruiting).

You're no more screwed than I am. Been a rough couple years, so I still have no tree.
You're going at it with a plan at least, so you should be in good shape.

I'm not a contestant in this contest, but does anyone else find it interesting that the person who started this contest hasn't been seen since October of last year?

I mentioned this myself a while back. Word is he's a seasonal poster mostly, but I still wonder.
Hope he's alright.

 

[COclimber89]

You're no more screwed than I am. Been a rough couple years, so I still have no tree.
You're going at it with a plan at least, so you should be in good shape.

I mentioned this myself a while back. Word is he's a seasonal poster mostly, but I still wonder.
Hope he's alright.

Whelp, that does make me feel slightly better I'll start a post for my entry. Might try to pick up a blue spruce as well, for funsies.

 

[berzerkules]

I appear to be fashionably late to this event. I wasn't even digging up little trees when this thread was started so everything I have is within the time frame.

If no one minds I might start some threads in the appropriate subforum. I have a few non native trees but the majority of what I have is locally collected native species and that's what I'm most interested in. Don't expect much though, I'm inexperienced, started late and have an extremely short growing season. This seems like a good excuse to document a few trees progression from the beginning and learn how much I don't know.

Here are a few candidates.
Little red alder clump right after collection 9/11/21.

Kind of funky tall and lanky birch, but it looks like a smaller version of the big ones we have up here. 5/23/22

Little bushy roadside larch. I can't even go on a bike ride without coming home with a tree or three. 5/23/22

This aspen also hitched a ride up front with the larch. There is probably a good reason why I've never seen an aspen bonsai, oh well.

 

[River's Edge]

I'm not a contestant in this contest, but does anyone else find it interesting that the person who started this contest hasn't been seen since October of last year?

Lets start a few conspiracy theories. Multi-personality with progressive memory issues.
Let's add the observation that the person assumed a new personality one month before the posting and switched again a month later!
Accuracy is not important here, its the thought that counts!

 

[HorseloverFat]

Hmm..

It COULD be me!

But Connecticut's climate isn't close enough to mine..

...or IS it?

 

[HorseloverFat]

Maybe @zanduh is "True" TERRY MARS!


(Just kidding... I KNOW who that is.. but he's been behaving himself)



Maybe Zanduh is complete AI... a sentient program with a fascination for organic growth.

 

[LittleDingus]

Lets start a few conspiracy theories. Multi-personality with progressive memory issues.
Let's add the observation that the person assumed a new personality one month before the posting and switched again a month later!
Accuracy is not important here, its the thought that counts!

Curiouser and curiouser...

When I try searching for posts by zanduh, that user name is not an auto-suggest. Similarly, @zanduh doesn't auto-suggest when creating a post. Let's see if it builds the call-out when I post this...

My theory, zanduh is an alien researcher tasked with studying Earth flora before the invasion. Being lazy and clever, he started this competition so we all would do his research for him and he could surf instead...

 

[River's Edge]

Hmm..

It COULD be me!

But Connecticut's climate isn't close enough to mine..

...or IS it?

The implication that a hidden truth may be associated with the illusion of events is possible! Or not.
This definitely calls for a picture or it didn't happen.
A picture? wait I have one of those.
Or one could compare writing style with previous challenge posts? Ah too easy lets do something else!