What the most rare bonsai tree you own ?

[Pixar]

Just wondering if anyone owns a rare bonsai trees ?

 

[Pixar]

I have some Guggul trees from India , they are only 1.5 years old so not bonsai trees yet

 

[Wulfskaar]

I have no real bonsai yet, but I have 6 Shreve oak seedlings (1 yr old). These seem fairly rare and I'm in/near their natural range.

I have never seen one as a bonsai.

 

[sorce]

The living one!

Sorce

 

[Mikecheck123]

I have a hybrid elm that is one of a kind.

 

[Calnicky]

Does a Nothofagus antarctica count? (Antarctic beech). Not so rare, I guess. This one needs some styling. So far a fun tree - hearty in Pac NW with lots of small leaves.

 

[Carol 83]

I am growing some seeds from New Zealand, so that is pretty rare here.

 

[Mikecheck123]

Does a Nothofagus antarctica count? (Antarctic beech). Not so rare, I guess. This one needs some styling. So far a fun tree - hearty in Pac NW with lots of small leaves. View attachment 467327

Cool species! Does this make you mad? ;-)

"Its occurrence on Hoste Island has previously earned it the distinction of being the southernmost tree on earth; however, in 2019 it was established that N. betuloides was found further south, on Hornos Island. N. antarctica is present on Hornos as well, but the southernmost individual is slightly further north (17 m) of the southernmost N. betuloides.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Technically, whether a species is rare or not in cultivation or in nature does not count at all in scoring at Bonsai shows. The only thing that counts is the appearance of the tree and the artistic composition of the display.

That said, many of us are "plant collectors" where rarities are sought after. I used to own an undescribed species of Aphelandra with beautiful silver and red striped leaves. Currently I have a unique Ficus believed to be from 'Chiapas', Mexico. The fig clearly seems to have good potential as bonsai. The Aphelandra perished during my low humidity winters in spite of being kept with the orchids.

Most bonsai clubs strongly discourage collecting CITES listed endangered or threatened species. If one is foolish enough to display endangered trees at a show, don't be surprised if US Fish and Wildlife Service shows up to have a conversation with you. I know of a couple orchid growers who had trouble with USFWS, one even did 6 months time after paying a huge fine, though he did thumb his nose at them, USFWS threw the book. The other orchid grower had 40,000 worth of plants seized and destroyed. So please, seeking out CITES restricted species for Bonsai is frought with dangers, not worth it.

At one time I tried to collect all members of genus Paphiopedilum, of orchids, but many are CITES Endangered, and all are now listed as Restricted. Today collecting Paph species is futile because so many no longer exist in cultivation and a fair number are extinct in the wild. So it is no longer possible to collect all Paphs. Today I only have a handful of Paphs, mostly hybrids.

In bonsai, it is the appearance of the tree that counts, nothing else.

But rare trees with a story are "cool" if they were acquired legally, save your receipts or collecting permits for as long as you own your rare tree.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Pinus arizonica Arizona Pine, Quercus georgiana Georgia Oak, Pinus balfouriana(balfouriana) Northern Foxtail Pine.

 

[bluone23]

in my area these are quite rare:
3 x Princess Persimmon ground growing
4 x Prunus Mume (3 in the ground 1 in pot)

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I used to own a sassafras albidum. Those are rare here in Europe.
But juniperus phoenicea var. Turbinata was probably the rarest. Too bad they didn't make it.

 

[Scorpius]

Cutting grown cork bark jbp.

 

[rockm]

Needs clarification...rare as bonsai, or rare in the wild. For instance--Escarpment live oak. Have never seen another E. live oak bonsai in person and only three or four online in the last 25 years. They are, however, common as ticks on a dog in their native range in Texas and Oklahoma.

 

[Cajunrider]

My rainbow eucalyptus is arguably the unicorn of bonsai hahaha. Seeds for rainbow eucalyptus are sold everywhere (Amazon, eBay, Etsy) for bonsai and discussed even on BonsaiNut in a thread more than a decade ago. Yet a bonafide bonsai of rainbow eucalyptus is never seen. I've searched for one off and on for the last 3 years. Mine is no exception. I tried and only get it to barely look like a prebonsai. Here is a link to one on Etsy being sold as a rare bonsai. Yet that one actually is less than 2 years old in my estimate.

 

[Michael P]

Rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum, is not rare in its natural habitat. But I've never seen one as bonsai except for mine.

 

[BrianBay9]

Metrosideros - New Zealand Christmas tree. Common tree but I've not seen it used for bonsai by anyone else in the US.

How about a weird, American elm looking tree with corky elm bark? https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/very-corky-american-elm.36222/#post-608768

 

[dbonsaiw]

The living one!

You beat me to it.

 

[Calnicky]

Cool species! Does this make you mad? ;-)

"Its occurrence on Hoste Island has previously earned it the distinction of being the southernmost tree on earth; however, in 2019 it was established that N. betuloides was found further south, on Hornos Island. N. antarctica is present on Hornos as well, but the southernmost individual is slightly further north (17 m) of the southernmost N. betuloides.

As long as they grow somewhere, I don't much care. And now it's a "Northernmost species" ("we can see Canada from here"). I bet some of those Canadians are growing them too.

 

[Pixar]

Metrosideros - New Zealand Christmas tree. Common tree but I've not seen it used for bonsai by anyone else in the US.

Carol83 has some seeds which she is growing