Bucida Spinosa

[markyscott]

Thinning, cutback, wiring and repot. It looks great in the new Gyozan.

 

[Hartinez]

So cool to have you in the pic for perspective. So much bigger than I thought.

 

[Japonicus]

That makes me giddy all over. Wow

 

[MMJNICE]

Here's an old Bucida Spinosa. I acquired it some time ago from another bonsai grower in Corpus Christi. Bucida Spinosa is native to the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. For those of you who aren't familiar with this species, it's a very nice one for bonsai. It grows best in full sun and does not like to be dried out - it'll drop its leaves in response to droughting. Its natural growth habit is interesting - foliage is sent horizontal from a naturally occuring zig-zag branch pattern sent from alternating branchlets. I keep it in a greenhouse during the coldest months of winter where it goes dormant. In the heat of summer it grows rapidly, putting on long extensions during the heat of the summer. Time for some summer work on this one.

Front:
View attachment 111640

Back:

Bahamas black olive are a fantastic tropical for bonsai. They need a lot of light indoors - I winter mine in the greenhouse near the heater under a Marshydro LED. This one.

S

Hey I just got my dorf black olive and was wondering if I should forget to turn my heater on in my greenhouse and the temperature drops below 45 degrees say 35 degrees for a couple of hours would that kill or greatly injure the tree.i just setup my greenhouse this winter and I can be busy with life and forget some thing at times. I unfortunately had a stroke a couple of years ago and my memory is struggling but it's slowly improving. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[MMJNICE]

Also I wanted to know when I can repot my new black olive tree. I got it from a nursery in Florida so I'm sure they had it in some kinda greenhouse for the winter but could be outside not sure.. I do have a heated greenhouse also. I sometimes forget to turn on the heat tho.. but most times int never drops below 40 degrees but stays around 45 to 50 degrees for the winter.

 

[markyscott]

Hey I just got my dorf black olive and was wondering if I should forget to turn my heater on in my greenhouse and the temperature drops below 45 degrees say 35 degrees for a couple of hours would that kill or greatly injure the tree.i just setup my greenhouse this winter and I can be busy with life and forget some thing at times. I unfortunately had a stroke a couple of years ago and my memory is struggling but it's slowly improving. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Also I wanted to know when I can repot my new black olive tree. I got it from a nursery in Florida so I'm sure they had it in some kinda greenhouse for the winter but could be outside not sure.. I do have a heated greenhouse also. I sometimes forget to turn on the heat tho.. but most times int never drops below 40 degrees but stays around 45 to 50 degrees for the winter.

I recommend getting a thermostat for your heater. Have it come on when it gets below 50. That way you never have to worry about accidentally forgetting about it. Black olive trees do not like to be cold.

Repot the tree in early summer. It started getting happy when it started getting really uncomfortable for me. Once it’s good and hot and you start seeing active growth, it should be ok to repot if it needs it.

S

 

[MMJNICE]

I recommend getting a thermostat for your heater. Have it come on when it gets below 50. That way you never have to worry about accidentally forgetting about it. Black olive trees do not like to be cold.

Repot the tree in early summer. It started getting happy when it started getting really uncomfortable for me. Once it’s good and hot and you start seeing active growth, it should be ok to repot if it needs it.

S

The heater has a basic thermostat but I haven't found the sweet spot yet. I normally turn it off during the day. The olive is staying inside for the time being until I get a definite answer about the olive. So basically i would have to keep my greenhouse around 50 degrees to provide the olive a safe comfortable place to over winter? Would a garage work for the over wintering months? Does the olive need a lot of light when it goes dormant? Does the olive go dormant?I live in ohio zone 6 and I prefer to keep the greenhouse below 50 degrees because most of my trees are Deciduous pine, juniper and a few broad leaf trees. The larch is mostly out if the greenhouse unless it's raining too much. Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[markyscott]

The heater has a basic thermostat but I haven't found the sweet spot yet. I normally turn it off during the day. The olive is staying inside for the time being until I get a definite answer about the olive. So basically i would have to keep my greenhouse around 50 degrees to provide the olive a safe comfortable place to over winter? Would a garage work for the over wintering months? Does the olive need a lot of light when it goes dormant? Does the olive go dormant?I live in ohio zone 6 and I prefer to keep the greenhouse below 50 degrees because most of my trees are Deciduous pine, juniper and a few broad leaf trees. The larch is mostly out if the greenhouse unless it's raining too much. Thanks for any help you can provide.

Bucida spinosa is a tropical tree - it doesn’t grow in the same conditions as temperate pines and broadleaf trees. You can keep it inside during the winter, but it will need a lot of light. Much more than you expect. I expect that Ohio will be a tough climate to grow these trees. That’s why I sold the subject tree of this thread before leaving Houston for Virginia.

- S

 

[MMJNICE]

Bucida spinosa is a tropical tree - it doesn’t grow in the same conditions as temperate pines and broadleaf trees. You can keep it inside during the winter, but it will need a lot of light. Much more than you expect. I expect that Ohio will be a tough climate to grow these trees. That’s why I sold the subject tree of this thread before leaving Houston for Virginia.

- S

So it's dropping it leaves heavily,,,about 15 percent each day.. I expect it to be bare soon... the nursery did say that's expected but I some how can't stomach seeing my tree's suffering. Wouldn't be the first tree I've killed in the persut of bonsai happiness but it sucks. I'll give the nursery a call, tomorrow because I need better instruction on proper care for a tree that's not native.. I normally stick with stuff I dig up but I get suckered every now and then.. but I'll continue to try to make it a comfortable life or death whichever that may be for the poor tree..