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

[HorseloverFat]

Don’t let “strange charisma” give you the impression of experience.

I’m still REAL “green” to this game.

 

[HorseloverFat]

To be fair that spot is probably reserved for a noob. I'm starting to think this is a great reason to enter multiple times

I believe you can have multiple CONSIDERATIONS... but have to “land” on just ONE presentation.... I think.

 

[stu929]

I believe you can have multiple CONSIDERATIONS... but have to “land” on just ONE presentation.... I think.

Presentation you are funny. I just hope to have more than one alive! It's just for bragging rights right ? Not like money is on the line.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Presentation you are funny. I just hope to have more than one alive! It's just for bragging rights right ? Not like money is on the line.

I believe the stakes are, “Your Eternal Soul”... I COULD be wrong.



(No money, though)

 

[LittleDingus]

I believe the stakes are, “Your Eternal Soul”... I COULD be wrong.



(No money, though)

Hehe...let's turn it up! Your eternal soul...or, for every tree you start with that you kill, you own the winner a spool or wire

 

[stu929]

Hehe...let's turn it up! Your eternal soul...or, for every tree you start with that you kill, you own the winner a spool or wire

That could get expensive. I have a tendency to go for nursery rejects lol.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Ok you talked me into joining up. Someone has to come in last . I feel lucky on the fact that the Cross Timbers, and most of Eastern Oklahoma fall within my zone. Right now I am looking at
American Elm Ulmus Americana
Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus virginiana
Black Jack Oak Cuercus Marilandica
Pecan Carya illinoinensis
Loblolly Pine Pinus Taeda

I hate to rain on your parade, but all of your candidates have big leaves. That doesn't mean they can be bonsai, but you are sure starting out in the hole. Big leaves are scaled to big trees and that takes longer to grow than small trees. You can do better, and do better.

 

[Aaron S.]

I hate to rain on your parade, but all of your candidates have big leaves. That doesn't mean they can be bonsai, but you are sure starting out in the hole. Big leaves are scaled to big trees and that takes longer to grow than small trees. You can do better, and do better.

Thank you, your rain is watering my trees I have seen the trees that the people on this forum grow, and to be honest I don't see myself ever finishing in the top half. So I am using what is available to me at this time. I have until spring so I will be looking for something that will make better bonsai material. As far as using trees with big leaves, it really does not bother me because I am the only one that looks at them unless I post pics here and they give me experience.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Thank you, your rain is watering my trees I have seen the trees that the people on this forum grow, and to be honest I don't see myself ever finishing in the top half. So I am using what is available to me at this time. I have until spring so I will be looking for something that will make better bonsai material. As far as using trees with big leaves, it really does not bother me because I am the only one that looks at them unless I post pics here and they give me experience.

I also gotta point out that he meant to add a “t” some where ‘round the “not saying they canT be bonsai” - part.


I believe this was just a “jest” towards realistic expectations.. he was saying they CAN be bonsai... they are just more difficult to “tame”...

Just didn’t want the misplacement of that one “t” to cause any confusion.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Thank you, your rain is watering my trees I have seen the trees that the people on this forum grow, and to be honest I don't see myself ever finishing in the top half. So I am using what is available to me at this time. I have until spring so I will be looking for something that will make better bonsai material. As far as using trees with big leaves, it really does not bother me because I am the only one that looks at them unless I post pics here and they give me experience.

There are something like 150 who have joined this thread, so none of us have better than 15 to 1 against finishing in the top ten, but that's not the point. Challenging oneself to present something worth seeing by the end is the point.

And thank you @HorseloverFat for the grammatical correction.

 

[nutshell]

Can anyone help with an ID? Phone says Dwarf Huckleberry (gaylussacia dumosa), which is native to neighboring states but not arkansas. Found on the tree line of a cow pasture. Is this right?

Plants Profile for Gaylussacia dumosa (dwarf huckleberry)

 

[treesnpots]

Totally in.

 

[fossiliferous]

We can learn and commiserate together! Where are you from?

Hey there! Sounds good to me. Living in Middle Tennessee at the moment, at the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau. Moving this winter though.
I may currently be somewhere now that’s a touch harsher than hardiness zone 7a and moving to a place a smidgen mildler than 7a.
What about you?

 

[stu929]

I'm in 7A or 6B depending on where I look.

Wish I was living in TNWish

 

[Aaron S.]

I need a little clarification. Does the pot have to be from within the 200-mile range?
In my state the Eastern Red Cedar is native but it is also considered invasive, can it be used?

 

[Lumaca]

Found something that might work! An Ixora javanica my brother had for 10 years or so, but has been looking very sad. Will have to repot soon and see if anything can be done to it.

 

[oddirt]

Nice idea for a contest! The Pacific Bonsai Miseum did a great natives exhibit and book on the show, pairing bonsai, ceramic and visual artists in a collaboration with really cool displays.

It’s perfect for me because I’m growing native trees for a future educational project to teach conservation and naturalist values to disadvantaged kids in my local community. I volunteer with the local chapter of the California Native Plant Society’s conservation committee.

Picking will be hard since I embarked on a project a few years to make bonsai out of every 90+ species of California native tree. I have 5 more species to go.

I’m thinking of a Sierra juniper (Juniperus grandis) or something a little more unusual like a pink chaparral honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula).
There’s got to be something under that shrub. Gotta figure out the final vision and then find a pot.

 

[Aaron S.]

So far I have some seeds outside for blackjack oak quercus marilandica, bald cypress taxodium distichum and pecan carya illinoinsnsis .
I also have a 3 foot tall Loblolly pine Pinus taeda that I collected three years ago from my home town and has been growing almost untouched in a large tub.
I don't have high hopes for the blackjack oak, although I have about 50 seeds planted so we will see. The BC is just something that I have been wanting and I had the seeds on order and it is native for OK so I threw it in. The pecan's came from a park called Pecan Grove, it had about 75 very large pecan trees and it had a bike trail through it and I really enjoyed riding through it. Sadly we had a bad ice storm in October and the city cut down the trees that were heavily damaged, so now there are only 8 trees left. I got the Loblolly from a large ranch in SE Oklahoma where I grew up in. I had been letting it grow unchecked and this fall after the ice storm I had a 8 year old niece over and she took it upon herself to trim it up, so all of the branches got cut in half. It looks a bit goofy but I'm sure it will live. I will start their progress threads on the 15th.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Can anyone help with an ID? Phone says Dwarf Huckleberry (gaylussacia dumosa), which is native to neighboring states but not arkansas. Found on the tree line of a cow pasture. Is this right?

Plants Profile for Gaylussacia dumosa (dwarf huckleberry)

View attachment 340542

If it is low growing, only getting a few inches tall and one or two internodes worth of stem from a creeping rhizome it could be Gaultheria procumbens, wintergreen. When you crush a leaf it will smell like wintergreen candy.

Red berries are a tip off it is NOT a Gaylussacia species, It is also NOT one of the Vaccinium species.

If it was ground hugging it could be Mitchella repens, partridge berry.

 

[canoeguide]

Today, I flagged up some Acer rubrum (Red maple) and Hamamelis virginiana (Witch hazel) for collection in the spring. I have property with tons of both, so I can be choosy and always get more. I'm really excited about the witch hazel, with its interesting flowers and timing.

I also have access to some Quercus ilicifolia (Bear oak) which I may try, and am looking hard for a place that I can collect some Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam).