Matte91
Shohin
Pictures?
What the most rare bonsai tree you own ?
- Thread starter Pixar
- Start date
Mikecheck123
Omono
There's a thread. It's basically like a Siberian elm with gigantic leaves.
Mystery hybrid elm quiz
Can anyone venture a guess as to what kind of elm I have? My best guess is a Siberian/American hybrid. However, some people and some literature suggest that such a cross is unlikely if not impossible. I see that crosses with slippery elm are common, but this doesn't look much like a slippery...
Tidal Bonsai
Omono
These trees are not rare because they both are regularly seen in the Northeast, however good specimens are harder to find in bonsai cultivation.
Amur Maple ground/container grown for aprox 20-30 years before I started refining it.
Collected RoR Pitch Pine, aprox 50-70 years old, still due for its first bonsai pot and styling. Next phase to come on both trees in the late winter!
Amur Maple ground/container grown for aprox 20-30 years before I started refining it.
Collected RoR Pitch Pine, aprox 50-70 years old, still due for its first bonsai pot and styling. Next phase to come on both trees in the late winter!
Ben in Kzoo
Yamadori
jimib
Shohin
LittleDingus
Omono
I have a dawn redwood with a true albino streak:
"Ghost" trees are rare but known and studied in coastal redwoods. This is the first known report of albinism in dawn redwoods.
"Ghost" trees are rare but known and studied in coastal redwoods. This is the first known report of albinism in dawn redwoods.
Pixar
Chumono
I have a Curry leaf tree which I'm trying to bonsai ( Murraya Koenigii )
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
I like some rare species and cultivars. Here are a few:
Satsuki azalea, ‘Kinsai’:
Japanese White Pine, ‘Zuisho’:
Less rare, but uncommon Chinese Quince, Pseudocydonia chinensis:
Probably the rarest is this variety of Itoigawa Shimpaku called Kiyozuru. I cannot find any provenance beyond Mas Ishi at Chikugo-en, even his son Gary didn’t really know where it came from, and acknowledged he was down to only a few left at his nursery. I have let It grow out to start cuttings this spring, but so far, I’m not sure that it’s a superior variety of Itoigawa, just rarer. I hand picked and purchased this from Gary at the nursery in LA, so at least the provenance of this one is secure.
Satsuki azalea, ‘Kinsai’:
Japanese White Pine, ‘Zuisho’:
Less rare, but uncommon Chinese Quince, Pseudocydonia chinensis:
Probably the rarest is this variety of Itoigawa Shimpaku called Kiyozuru. I cannot find any provenance beyond Mas Ishi at Chikugo-en, even his son Gary didn’t really know where it came from, and acknowledged he was down to only a few left at his nursery. I have let It grow out to start cuttings this spring, but so far, I’m not sure that it’s a superior variety of Itoigawa, just rarer. I hand picked and purchased this from Gary at the nursery in LA, so at least the provenance of this one is secure.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,637
- Reaction score
- 24,389
- USDA Zone
- 5b
Notification brought me back to this thread, so I know I'm reviving a zombie thread, but it is a good topic. Rare is relative. This is a Ficus species, brought into the USA by an orchid collector sometime in the late 1980's. He thought it a waste of space in his greenhouse and gave it to me around 1994. It was collected in the hills around San Cristobal, state of Chiapas, Mexico. I assume Ficus species are not rare in habitat. However, I have not found a match in any botanical description of any neotropical Ficus species. As a result I have distributed cuttings labelled as Ficus from Chiapas. To my frustration Jerry Mieslick started calling it 'Mexicali' which obscures its origin. His specimen of 'Mexicali' came from me, a decade ago or more, we regularly discussed finding a name or a taxonomist to describe it.
It resembles the "nomen nudem" sold in the hobby as a willow leaf Ficus with several significant differences. It has this shredding reddish bark that the willow leaf Ficus does not have. The leaves on the average are wider than willow leaf, though not longer. It forms aerial roots easily even in somewhat lower humidity and lower temperatures. It is also deciduous, in that regardless of watering, it tends to be leafless January, February and part of March. It can tolerate total drought during this period. Alas, another difference, nobody I know has been able to get it to produce synconia (fruit). the willow leaf Ficus sold by Wigert's and other Florida vendors does produce fruit regularly when given sun and allowed to grow.
The fruit issue might just be due to my northern climate, but Jerry Meislick could not get fruit either. We need fruit to give a taxonomist the key traits needed for either identifying it to species or writing a species description if indeed it is new to science as I suspect it is.
Ficus from Chiapas makes cuttings easily, I plan to do a batch this summer. It might be a common but unappreciated "weed" in Chiapas, but to the best of my knowledge, all individuals of this species in USA trace back to this plant.
It resembles the "nomen nudem" sold in the hobby as a willow leaf Ficus with several significant differences. It has this shredding reddish bark that the willow leaf Ficus does not have. The leaves on the average are wider than willow leaf, though not longer. It forms aerial roots easily even in somewhat lower humidity and lower temperatures. It is also deciduous, in that regardless of watering, it tends to be leafless January, February and part of March. It can tolerate total drought during this period. Alas, another difference, nobody I know has been able to get it to produce synconia (fruit). the willow leaf Ficus sold by Wigert's and other Florida vendors does produce fruit regularly when given sun and allowed to grow.
The fruit issue might just be due to my northern climate, but Jerry Meislick could not get fruit either. We need fruit to give a taxonomist the key traits needed for either identifying it to species or writing a species description if indeed it is new to science as I suspect it is.
Ficus from Chiapas makes cuttings easily, I plan to do a batch this summer. It might be a common but unappreciated "weed" in Chiapas, but to the best of my knowledge, all individuals of this species in USA trace back to this plant.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,637
- Reaction score
- 24,389
- USDA Zone
- 5b
Separate topic, I referred to willow leaf Ficus as "nomen nudem" which is botanical speak for invalid name. As far as I know, willow leaf Ficus has never had a type location specimen vouchered. Without a location of origin, the modern botanical rules regard names as invalid. I could be wrong, I did not do an exhaustive search of the literature, but as of my last conversation with Jerry Mieslick before he passed away, he was not aware of a type location for willow leaf fig of the USA bonsai trade. This is also why the name keeps changing for willow leaf fig. Nobody really knows for certain what to do with it because they don't know if it comes from India or Central America, Africa or China.
Any young taxonomists out there, Neotropical Ficus species could really use a champion.
Any young taxonomists out there, Neotropical Ficus species could really use a champion.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
Always intrigued by less-obious species..
- I am growing out a laceleaf corkbark japanese maple, which afaik is one of a kind (self-propagated from seed).
- Wild Pear are fairly rare
- Fieldgrowing a Glden Rain (Labernun spp) which I have rarely seen as bonsai
In mainland europe:
- corkbark portulacaria (mini jade) are fairly rare
- Jabuticaba bonsai are fairly rare
- Thornless braziliant Raintree are fairly rare
Also less commonly seen, Ivy (hedera) with a reasonable trunk. Still looking for a big one.
- I am growing out a laceleaf corkbark japanese maple, which afaik is one of a kind (self-propagated from seed).
- Wild Pear are fairly rare
- Fieldgrowing a Glden Rain (Labernun spp) which I have rarely seen as bonsai
In mainland europe:
- corkbark portulacaria (mini jade) are fairly rare
- Jabuticaba bonsai are fairly rare
- Thornless braziliant Raintree are fairly rare
Also less commonly seen, Ivy (hedera) with a reasonable trunk. Still looking for a big one.
Will you be selling cuttings? I would be interested to get some.
Gabler
Masterpiece
I never understood why folks apologize for posting in an old thread. It makes much more sense to me to continue an existing thread than to create a duplicate thread. We don't need multiple threads on the same topic. Is there a reason some think it's rude to continue using a perfectly good thread, just because the start date isn't sufficiently recent?
Anyway, with respect to the topic of Ficus spp., would you mind sharing a sentence or two in the following thread?
Michael P
Omono
Leo, I would be very interested in a cutting of 'Chiapas 'if possible. The tree in your photo has exactly the strangler fig look that I have unsuccessfully tried to achieve with various varieties of F. microcarpa.
When I visited the Jim Smith collection several years ago, this tree was on display. It had slightly wider leaves than the other willow leaf ficus in the collection.
When I visited the Jim Smith collection several years ago, this tree was on display. It had slightly wider leaves than the other willow leaf ficus in the collection.
Attachments
Last edited:
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,637
- Reaction score
- 24,389
- USDA Zone
- 5b
If I have a successful batch of cuttings, I will be selling them, at a modest price. The caveat is I want all recipients to agree to be careful with correct naming. I want no "new names" made up for this species unless it is a formal botanical description published in a botanical journal. No new names like 'Mexicali', it needs to remain 'Ficus species from San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico', or 'Chiapas' for short. We must make an effort to preserve provenance until it is understood what this specimen represents.
Right now it is getting ready to go dormant, I won't try to root cuttings now. We will see what success I have in spring. I will post on BNut first when I have a batch of cuttings rooted and ready to send out. They will be cuttings, hence small, but they are rare material, and this thing grows FAST when sun, heat and humidity happen at the same time.
It doesn't need super high humidity, but anything over 40% visibly improves growth and aerial root development.
RozendaalArts
Mame
I have this rare Hibiscus Arnottianus x Schizopetalus hybrid. By far my best growing tree, super healthy. I've had it for 2-3 years from a cutting given away by the botanical garden, flowered for the first time this June, on my windowsill under UVA lights
I have several other young trees too that are probably not necessarily rare, but don't think I've ever seen them as bonsai. Sichuan pepper, Chimonanthus Praecox and Melia Azedarach for example
I have several other young trees too that are probably not necessarily rare, but don't think I've ever seen them as bonsai. Sichuan pepper, Chimonanthus Praecox and Melia Azedarach for example
Absolutely
leatherback
The Treedeemer
if you ever happen to cross the big pond and are able to bring a stem with some leaves in, let me know.
Michael P
Omono
Agreed! I hate multiple names for genetically identical plants! Maybe we could start a Chiapas discussion for those of us who receive cuttings.
Zac
Shohin
Yes I'd be interested in buying some when ready. Of course it's important to keep provence. Every cutting, tree and pot I buy from anyone gets a metal label plus documented with pictures and written up in my notebook.
Similar threads
