Uncommon bonsai species

[stevewill12]

For me, one particular species that I find intriguing and believe has untapped potential for bonsai is the American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), also known as musclewood or blue beech. This tree is native to eastern North America and is not as commonly used in bonsai as some other species.

 

[Dabbler]

I'm working with a couple Loblolly pine

 

[Betula1]

Creeping Willow -Salix repens as a semi- cascade- roots easily and is naturally creeping prostrate willow from sand dunes in Britain and Europe

 

[Gabler]

For me, one particular species that I find intriguing and believe has untapped potential for bonsai is the American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), also known as musclewood or blue beech. This tree is native to eastern North America and is not as commonly used in bonsai as some other species.

I guess they're not commonly used in bonsai outside of North America. Around here, they're fairly common, at least with hobbyists.

 

[Betula1]

Crassula tetragona forest group

 

[Gabler]

I'm working with a couple Loblolly pine

I have a few myself, in the early development stages. They seem to be the North American equivalent to the Japanese black pine. They're a coastal plane species that prefers milder winters, but they're vigorous, and I've read they can be decandled successfully to reduce the long needles. They're also very tolerant of wet roots.

 

[Frozentreehugger]

My favorite species is almost never used by the members of bnut. It's chamaecyparis thyoides "red star" , the american white atlantic cedar
It came to my island because a mistake in the order of a garden nurseries, and I bought it as a neglected plant (6€)
Since then I had been training it:

View attachment 536158

Also I took the cuttings I made with it (16), and now they are ready to make my first forest

View attachment 536160

Why it's not used more widely in the bonsai community? When I google "bonsai chamaecyparis thyoides red star", more than 50% of the initial results, are my own trees. Do not confuse "red star" with "top point" or "little jamie" wich are not bonsai friendly in my experience.
They are easily bendable, bud back wherever you want, and had been pest free for the last 3 years.
Should them be available here, I would have bought more of them.....

Very cool . My first thoughts are . I have heard of Atlantic cedar. Being grown on the east coast of Canada . ( most likely collected material Yamadori) but do not know anyone with it . Perhaps a Canadian east coast club . Nay have members you can compare notes with . @Canada Bonsai . Is on the east coast he might be able to put you in contact with someone . And or David Easterbrook in Montreal . Has convections across the Canada and the USA . But it looks like your doing great on your own nice tree

 

[Frozentreehugger]

Creeping Willow -Salix repens as a semi- cascade- roots easily and is naturally creeping prostrate willow from sand dunes in Britain and EuropeView attachment 536189View attachment 536190

Very interesting as most willow are so upright . Dominant . Both of yours are nice I be see why you like them

 

[Fidur]

Very cool . My first thoughts are . I have heard of Atlantic cedar. Being grown on the east coast of Canada . ( most likely collected material Yamadori) but do not know anyone with it . Perhaps a Canadian east coast club . Nay have members you can compare notes with . @Canada Bonsai . Is on the east coast he might be able to put you in contact with someone . And or David Easterbrook in Montreal . Has convections across the Canada and the USA . But it looks like your doing great on your own nice tree

As a curiosity, this species was in the Pacific bonsai expo this year:



and it's very popular in Colombia where it's called "pino estrella" (Source: Deus Bonsai)

 

[joeseye]

I have been experimenting with Osage orange. It grows rather quickly and back buds well, the wood is also very rot resistant and should make for long lasting deadwood features. If you can get past the thorns, they are fun to play with.

Agree. I've been playing around with a few. I've been growing some in the ground, but they've been growing rather slowly, at least under the conditions of the east coast, US. This one's around 25 yo.

 

[Marius]

Interesting topic!

I was also curious about the most unusual species used for bonsai and gathered a whole bunch of pictures every time I found something weird.
From tree ferns & palm trees to succulents it's all in here (alphabetical order by scientific name):

00. Specii neconventionale - Google Drive

drive.google.com

I'm also trying my luck with a miniature tree fern (Oceaniopteris gibba) - yeah, I know, not true wood = no true bonsai. I actually wanted to make a kusamono, but she insisted on growing a trunk. Otherwise mainly succulents as mame or smaller-half shohin - Ceraria pygmaea, Crassula portulacea, Delosperma napiforme and Trichodiadema densum.

Ideal for smaller sizes if you ask me, can live for months without water at all.

 

[19Mateo83]

I just up-potted my osage orange seedlings over the weekend. We'll have to compare notes. Is there a study group thread for them?

I don’t think so but I haven’t looked yet.

Agree. I've been playing around with a few. I've been growing some in the ground, but they've been growing rather slowly, at least under the conditions of the east coast, US. This one's around 25 yo.

That’s a nice one! How old is it?

 

[Dabbler]

I have a few myself, in the early development stages. They seem to be the North American equivalent to the Japanese black pine. They're a coastal plane species that prefers milder winters, but they're vigorous, and I've read they can be decandled successfully to reduce the long needles. They're also very tolerant of wet roots.

they seem to be salt tolerant too as i've seen some growing right on a oceans edge with roots in the water

 

[hardtimes]

ceanothis- dark star seems interesting

View attachment uey6fonniyz61.webp

 

[Gabler]

There's a large number of "seeds" and "seedlings" posting here, so I figure this is a good place to share this warning:

If a tree is not commonly used in bonsai, there's probably a good reason.

I've observed that newcomers to the bonsai hobby love to try lots of unusual species, but then they quickly settle on a few favorites, which are usually species that are common bonsai subjects.

I haven't yet given up trying unusual species, myself, but I am devoting more of my time and attention to proven species, and I'm dabbling with strange stuff on the side, without the expectation of getting any results. I highly recommend that newcomers to the hobby pick up a few "normal" trees, so in a few years, when your experiments fail to yield the desired results, you will still have some nice stuff on your benches.

 

[hardtimes]

ceanothis- dark star seems interesting

View attachment 536204

 

[Frozentreehugger]

One person's rare and unusual will not be the same for growers in a different part of the world.
I'm growing a number of Aussie natives that many in the USA and Europe would not have heard of but are relatively common down here.
Banksia integrifolia, Banksia serrata, Podocarpus lawrencii, Microcachrys tetragona (creeping strawberry pine (but not actually a pine at all)), A number of different Eucalyptus species and more.

There is so much . Environmental plants and wildlife unique to Australia . You must have a wealth of material . The rest of us have not even heard of let alone seen

 

[Gabler]

For me, one particular species that I find intriguing and believe has untapped potential for bonsai is the American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), also known as musclewood or blue beech. This tree is native to eastern North America and is not as commonly used in bonsai as some other species.

Here's what they look like in the wild. An understory tree in moist soil.

 

[Tums]

Baccharis pilularis - Coyote Bush​

Coyote Bush (also called Coyote Brush) is a common California native shrub. It is versatile and adaptable in a wide range of landscape applications.


Cool woody trunk. All it pushed was long runners. I think it died.

We have Baccharis halimifolia on the east coast. Great bark even on the little nursery stock sticks. Unfortunately I killed mine perhaps by trying to tourniquet it, but I'm looking to try again some time.

 

[Tums]

Ulmus alata - Winged Elm - known in the hobby but pretty rarely utilized...These are 2 years beyond collection. Just recently assembled...View attachment 536163

Have you used any of the other native elm species (American, slippery, cedar)? I'm not sure about the differences between them.