"Devils Club Bonsai"

[jomawa]

Possibly just an example of my crazy twisted mind, but I google[d] (and) google image[d] Devils Club Bonsai. Native (or at least local) plant one oftentimes encounters (ow) while inspecting the vine maple areas. Not surprising, there were no results (and no, I'm not about to start one). But google at least tried to help, "do you mean devil's...". Oh, yeah, I gotta use that little mark. Still no results, (Sigh, hmmm, wonder what forum or thread it would get posted in?) There are some other thorny plants (Black Locust) near my vine maple source in the woods. Wonder what google has for black locust bonsai, whoops, the drop down also offers "black locust bonsai care". Could that be the care one must take to protect themselves from their bonsai? OK, I confess, my bonsai are inactive right now and I have a bit too much time on my hands and have taken to rambling on bonsainut.

 

[sorce]

What up Jomawa!

Talk about raising the crazy bar!

Sorce

 

[Potawatomi13]

Sometimes we're having nutty moments or days.....
As for thorny plants I trim off ends of spines. Protect self from aggressive trees.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Devil's club is in the Aralia family. The Taiwan and southern China species of Aralia only occasionally get used for bonsai. I've seen Devil's club growing. Pretty unlikely you'd ever be able to make a decent bonsai or even a Kusamono.

Black locust, Robina, has been used. I recall seeing an nice old 4 or 5 inch diameter 24 to 36 inch tall trunk specimen in a show in the 1980's. Never saw it a second time. This was BD before digital or I would drag up a picture. They develop a nice rough bark. Spines can be pruned off. Lovely fragrant flowers in late spring. What's not to like. I have had trouble collecting young specimens, they seldom survive the winter for me. Have not found an easy to collect mature specimen.

As time and space permits, I will keep trying. One problem is that the sucker easily, and may abandon an old trunk for young suckers. The roots won't tolerate a zone 5 winter in a pot, even though in the ground they are very hardy in zone 5. Perhaps I should try a less water retentive mix, for some trees like to winter with slightly dry roots. (Buddleia for example)

if I ever figure them out, I'll let you know. I know others are dabbling with black locust too.

 

[jomawa]

I trim off ends of spines.

I'm not sure but I don't think that's allowed in the "rules" of bonsai. Dang, where's my "Roberts Rules of Bonsai?"

 

[jomawa]

sucker easily, and may abandon an old trunk for young suckers.
if I ever figure them out, I'll let you know.

Thanks for you're input Leo. This fits what the land owner said where the Black Locust are/were growing. They were on a homestead that was in the corner of the 40 acre logged area that was mostly fir. After the standing locust were logged, the new shoots came back with a vengence, so rather than really trying to eradicate them, he is "allowing" them to grow. Sounds like it would have good character for a bonsai, but I think I'll let it go due to the shoots. And the Devil's Club, now that's just silly, (but if someone's crazier than I and willing to tackle it, get back with me and let me know how it worked for ya).