JAPANESE SNOWBELL

[MACH5]

This Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica) was purchased last year from Bill Valavanis. Actually it was owned by Joe Noga and Bill brokered the sale. I bought the tree for several reasons, not least is their relative rarity in the US at least as bonsai. In addition, the tree offered great movement, scarless trunk and a wonderful 360 root spread. I also saw a future little shohin up top!

This is the tree shortly after it was received.






And this is what I saw. Twin trunk shohin up top and red line indicating where I intended to cut it back to.






The tree now one year later with the front changed and drastically shortened. As a result the tree is now much more compact and its taper improved. The tree had been repotted in spring of 2021 using a larger pot to allow for faster development.






Good movement and a scarless trunk. The nebari is also quite nice all around which is one of the hallmarks of the Japanese snowbell.






Two side branches were brought up with the help of a guy wire to start building the upper portions of the tree.






Last but not least is the twin trunk shohin that resulted from air layering the original apex. The air layer was made in the month of May 2021 and separated three months later in August.








Potted after it was separated in August and will be left to grow next year before transplanting it into a bonsai container probably in 2023.

 

[fredman]

Beautiful. It's on its way to look like a tree...not like a bonsai. I love that
Looking forward to updates.

 

[coh]

That'll look great in bloom, with the way you're training the branches up and out.

I've been frustrated with this species - put one in my growing bed quite a few years ago and it has been repeatedly attacked by some kind of bark beetle. As a result, the trunks I was building kept getting killed back to low growth. I think it will probably just get moved to the landscape next year, maybe it'll outgrow the borers and someday I'll be able to layer off a decent branch.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

This Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonica) was purchased last year from Bill Valavanis. Actually it was owned by Joe Noga and Bill brokered the sale. I bought the tree for several reasons, not least is their relative rarity in the US at least as bonsai. In addition, the tree offered great movement, scarless trunk and a wonderful 360 root spread. I also saw a future little shohin up top!

This is the tree shortly after it was received.

View attachment 413239




And this is what I saw. Twin trunk shohin up top and red line indicating where I intended to cut it back to.

View attachment 413241




The tree now one year later with the front changed and drastically shortened. As a result the tree is now much more compact and its taper improved. The tree had been repotted in spring of 2021 using a larger pot to allow for faster development.

View attachment 413242




Good movement and a scarless trunk. The nebari is also quite nice all around which is one of the hallmarks of the Japanese snowbell.

View attachment 413243




Two side branches were brought up with the help of a guy wire to start building the upper portions of the tree.

View attachment 413244




Last but not least is the twin trunk shohin that resulted from air layering the original apex. The air layer was made in the month of May 2021 and separated three months later in August.

View attachment 413245

View attachment 413246




Potted after it was separated in August and will be left to grow next year before transplanting it into a bonsai container probably in 2023.

View attachment 413247

It looks great after you guy wired the branch up! The new direction is way better!

 

[MACH5]

That'll look great in bloom, with the way you're training the branches up and out.

I've been frustrated with this species - put one in my growing bed quite a few years ago and it has been repeatedly attacked by some kind of bark beetle. As a result, the trunks I was building kept getting killed back to low growth. I think it will probably just get moved to the landscape next year, maybe it'll outgrow the borers and someday I'll be able to layer off a decent branch.

Thanks for sharing this info Chris. I did not see anything of the sort with mine. But now I'll be on the look out. Of course, I do think that something planted in the ground is quite a different scenario than a tree we have up on a bench. All sorts of things can happen to trees we don't get to see up close and personal on a daily basis.

 

[Canada Bonsai]

Oh yesss!

Under-documented species too, very much looking forward to learning from your observations!

Please keep us posted on the closure of that wound!

 

[MACH5]

Oh yesss!

Under-documented species too, very much looking forward to learning from your observations!

Please keep us posted on the closure of that wound!

Thanks Derek will do! From what I have seen on much smaller cuts I think they heal well and quite readily. We shall see. Perhaps someone else could chime in?

 

[coh]

Thanks for sharing this info Chris. I did not see anything of the sort with mine. But now I'll be on the look out. Of course, I do think that something planted in the ground is quite a different scenario than a tree we have up on a bench. All sorts of things can happen to trees we don't get to see up close and personal on a daily basis.

I didn't start seeing them until maybe 6 or 7 years ago. At that point I had a number of things in my growing bed that had gotten large enough to be trunk chopped. The beetles started showing up on the trunk chopped trees. I've read that trees give off certain chemicals (can't remember which ones) when chopped/stressed, which in turn attracts the beetles. So kind of a vicious circle - stress tree by chopping, beetles attack and then further weaken/kill tree. I'm not sure what types of beetles they are, they're very tiny and hard to identify (the holes aren't much larger than pencil leads) and there are quite a few different shothole beetles, ambrosia beetles, etc. I don't know if they've been around all the time and I only recently started noticing them, or if they've recently arrived. But we do have a lot of pines in the area that have slowly been dying off through a combination of fungus and borers.

Anyway, I've only seen a couple of holes on potted/bonsai over the years, and no trunk damage death so hopefully they stay away.

BTW, do you know anything about the history of the tree? Did Joe start it from a seed or cutting, how old is it, etc?

 

[Carol 83]

Your vision of what a tree can be and how you make it happen is really inspiring.

 

[MACH5]

I didn't start seeing them until maybe 6 or 7 years ago. At that point I had a number of things in my growing bed that had gotten large enough to be trunk chopped. The beetles started showing up on the trunk chopped trees. I've read that trees give off certain chemicals (can't remember which ones) when chopped/stressed, which in turn attracts the beetles. So kind of a vicious circle - stress tree by chopping, beetles attack and then further weaken/kill tree. I'm not sure what types of beetles they are, they're very tiny and hard to identify (the holes aren't much larger than pencil leads) and there are quite a few different shothole beetles, ambrosia beetles, etc. I don't know if they've been around all the time and I only recently started noticing them, or if they've recently arrived. But we do have a lot of pines in the area that have slowly been dying off through a combination of fungus and borers.

Anyway, I've only seen a couple of holes on potted/bonsai over the years, and no trunk damage death so hopefully they stay away.

BTW, do you know anything about the history of the tree? Did Joe start it from a seed or cutting, how old is it, etc?

I'll definitely keep an eye!

I suspect that Joe may have started this tree as an air layer?

Your vision of what a tree can be and how you make it happen is really inspiring.

Thanks Carol!

 

[Peconomou]

Serge...your you tube presentations to various clubs are so very well done. I can tell you put a lot of effort into your topics and case studies. Thank you so much for your hard work....from a newer bonsai hobbyist in Worcester, Massachusetts!!!

 

[MACH5]

Serge...your you tube presentations to various clubs are so very well done. I can tell you put a lot of effort into your topics and case studies. Thank you so much for your hard work....from a newer bonsai hobbyist in Worcester, Massachusetts!!!

Hey man, thank you for the kind note. I do appreciate it!

 

[PaulH]

Just got one myself. From an older club member and mentor's collection. Sadly he has had to enter memory care but wanted his trees to be distributed to club members.


I also have native yamadori California Styrax I collected on my property.

 

[MACH5]

Just got one myself. From an older club member and mentor's collection. Sadly he has had to enter memory care but wanted his trees to be distributed to club members.
View attachment 413393

I also have native yamadori California Styrax I collected on my property.

View attachment 413394

Good trees Paul! Congrats. Thanks for sharing.

 

[stu929]

Would love to see an update on the shohin if possible.

 

[BrightsideB]

I love these tree’s

 

[stu929]

I love these tree’s

I picked up a nursery tree I plan yo air layer and chop. Part of why I would love to see updates.

 

[MACH5]

Would love to see an update on the shohin if possible.

The air layer did great this year. I basically let it grow unchecked all growing season long. During the winter of '21 I lost a back branch and hoping to address that one way or another next season.

Styrax seems to be easily air layered which is great news!

 

[stu929]

The air layer did great this year. I basically let it grow unchecked all growing season long. During the winter of '21 I lost a back back branch and hoping to address that one way or another next season.

Styrax seems to be easily air layered which is great news!

That is fantastic news indeed. The last tree I picked up should be able to produce multiple air layers. Then hopefully a successful trunk chop. ;-)

 

[Bonsai_Bentley]

@MACH5 I just picked up one of these yesterday. I had no idea what it was. It was just chilling in the clearance section, but a remarkably healthy tree given where I found it. At least it appears to be as it's currently dormant. What kind of soil do you recommend for Styrax? I figured I'd go with 100% aka as usual, but I've been reading that they would benefit with some organics in the soil.