Colorado’s Buttonwood

[Colorado]

I’d like to share this shohin-sized buttonwood that I’ve been working on for a few years now.

I purchased the tree in early 2021 off Facebook Auctions. Here is a photo of the tree as received:



I repotted the tree into a Chinese production container, nothing fancy. Here’s the tree a few months later:



And again in 2022:



I left the tree in that pot until May of 2024 and the tree has been allowed to grow freely for about a year now. Lookin shaggy:



By that time it had grown a great root mass of fine roots. I had used small grain akadama for substrate:



Over the past winter I made 2 pots for the tree, unsure of which would ultimately be a better fit. First I had this cream colored round. I liked how this pot suggested a sandy beach for this coastal species:



I did like this option….but not as much as I liked option 2. This glazed rectangle suggests the color of the sea. And it fits like a glove!



Now I’ll let the tree recover from the repot. In a few weeks I will do a hard cut back to tighten up the branching, which has gotten a little leggy.

P.s. - I don’t allow this tree to experience temps below 50F.

Cheers!

 

[Dabbler]

Looks great! I'm jealous as I love tropical's but have no where to put them in winter - the mistress won't let me take of the guest room as a green house

 

[Colorado]

Looks great! I'm jealous as I love tropical's but have no where to put them in winter - the mistress won't let me take of the guest room as a green house

Thanks! I previously had quite a few tropicals, but didn’t have space for all mine over the winter either. This is my only remaining tropical. I just keep it in a windowsill in my home office over the winter.

 

[nuttiest]

Looks great! I'm jealous as I love tropical's but have no where to put them in winter - the mistress won't let me take of the guest room as a green house

but they would be guests!

 

[Dabbler]

but they would be guests!

A good point, I'll bring that up next we "talk" about it lol

 

[namnhi]

I’d like to share this shohin-sized buttonwood that I’ve been working on for a few years now.

I purchased the tree in early 2021 off Facebook Auctions. Here is a photo of the tree as received:

View attachment 546564

I repotted the tree into a Chinese production container, nothing fancy. Here’s the tree a few months later:

View attachment 546565

And again in 2022:

View attachment 546566

I left the tree in that pot until May of 2024 and the tree has been allowed to grow freely for about a year now. Lookin shaggy:

View attachment 546568View attachment 546569

By that time it had grown a great root mass of fine roots. I had used small grain akadama for substrate:

View attachment 546567

Over the past winter I made 2 pots for the tree, unsure of which would ultimately be a better fit. First I had this cream colored round. I liked how this pot suggested a sandy beach for this coastal species:

View attachment 546572

I did like this option….but not as much as I liked option 2. This glazed rectangle suggests the color of the sea. And it fits like a glove!

View attachment 546573View attachment 546574

Now I’ll let the tree recover from the repot. In a few weeks I will do a hard cut back to tighten up the branching, which has gotten a little leggy.

P.s. - I don’t allow this tree to experience temps below 50F.

Cheers!

Lovely!

 

[pandacular]

This one is great. You do great work with tropicals, and I hope someday you have a whole hothouse for them.

 

[MGTT]

Wow! Nice work! Not easy in your climate!!!

 

[Pitoon]

I really like those square pots. The square glaze pot pairs up with the tree nicely.

 

[Colorado]

Lovely!

This one is great. You do great work with tropicals, and I hope someday you have a whole hothouse for them.

Wow! Nice work! Not easy in your climate!!!

I really like those square pots. The square glaze pot pairs up with the tree nicely.

Thanks for the kind words!

Oh man, a hothouse for tropicals would be really fun. I’d probably grow some of my tomatoes in there too maybe someday!

 

[Carol 83]

I really like those square pots

Me too.

 

[Colorado]

I forgot to add, this tree has flowered for me the last couple years. The flowers are kind of odd, in a fun way!

 

[Bonsai Forest]

Cool shari/deadwood!

 

[snowman04]

You have done a great job! I killed mine...

 

[Colorado]

Cool shari/deadwood!

Thanks! This is what I love about this tree, and buttonwood as a species. The deadwood is much more durable than most other tropicals. I treat it just like juniper deadwood. It’s about time for some like sulfur!

 

[Colorado]

You have done a great job! I killed mine...

Aw shoot! I’ve heard they can be temperamental. I am extra careful with this one!

 

[snowman04]

It just got too cold in the garage last year for it...

 

[Colorado]

It just got too cold in the garage last year for it...

Yeah I just keep mine in a windowsill over the winter. I never let it get below 50F…which is a real pain in the ass at 6000 ft elevation in Colorado .

Right now I’m still shuffling it inside almost every night. There’s only a few months out of the year that I can leave it outside at night. But it’s a tiny little tree, so at least the shuffle is painless! Lol.

 

[Cria]

This is gorgeous and gives me such hope! I plan to spend at least the next decade in NY, but I'm from a more tropical region originally. I expected not to be able to keep bonsai of any of my favorite hometown trees, but if Colorado can do it, surely NY can do it... with a bit more practice!

 

[Colorado]

This is gorgeous and gives me such hope! I plan to spend at least the next decade in NY, but I'm from a more tropical region originally. I expected not to be able to keep bonsai of any of my favorite hometown trees, but if Colorado can do it, surely NY can do it... with a bit more practice!

Thanks! You can definitely do it

Starting with good material is half the battle!