Most difficult tree to bonsai?

[Crazy Diamond]

Oh man this quarantine must be getting to me.
I hard chopped and defoliated my kalanchoe!

Since Mid winter these things keep threatening to flower, but with no avail.

I figured I’d experiment.

View attachment 296885
View attachment 296886
Some interesting wounds on some of the branches. View attachment 296887
here’s It’s sibling showing the shoots that have looked like this for a month.View attachment 296889
Anyways, just thought I’d share a plant poor for bonsai. Your welcome.

Still have this one?

 

[Eckhoffw]

Still have this one?

Yeah, thanks for asking!
just updated the thread

Kalanchoe bonsai?

Got this kalanchoe from target 2 years ago. I’ve divided it three times. I’m going to get this trunk woody yet. Anyone have any good examples? Bonsai everything!

www.bonsainut.com

 

[Carol 83]

've got one of these suckas... (Gifted from family.. blah blah blah)

Me too, why do they do that? I did not embrace the big butt and chopped the tubers. I have to keep it because my brother asks to see it every Christmas. At least it has developed some aerial roots.

 

[Lorax7]

I have to keep it because my brother asks to see it every Christmas.

Don't you have any pets that you can lay the blame on with a plausible story about its unfortunate demise? .... "Oh, yeah, sorry bro, Fido must've gotten excited about something and knocked it off the table while I was away the other day. The poor thing dried up before I saw the disaster and it did not respond to my attempts to rescue it.".... cue sad violin music...

 

[TinyArt]

Don't you have any pets that you can lay the blame on with a plausible story about its unfortunate demise?

...But therein lies a clue of what to get you NEXT Christmas...!

 

[Lorax7]

...But therein lies a clue of what to get you NEXT Christmas...!

But, you can anticipate that and counteract it by showing him another tree and telling him that it is the “replacement” that you bought for the tree that was lost. Then the purpose is served. He still nas a specific tree that he can ask you about every year and you can show him ‘his tree’ and talk about how much it has grown since last year, etc.

 

[Carol 83]

Don't you have any pets that you can lay the blame on with a plausible story about its unfortunate demise? .... "Oh, yeah, sorry bro, Fido must've gotten excited about something and knocked it off the table while I was away the other day. The poor thing dried up before I saw the disaster and it did not respond to my attempts to rescue it.".... cue sad violin music...

Unfortunately, no. We had to put our last pet Miss Kitty down a few weeks ago. But I could blame the squirrels.

 

[Paradox]

Hey guys,
New to bonsai and excited to get started. Just wanted to ask a stupid question out of curiosity really.

What is the absolute hardest tree to bonsai?
Is it readily available or are there many trees that just don't respond to bonsai at all?
Thanks!

The most difficult is a dead tree
They just don't seem to be able to be bonsai

 

[Haxor Dave]

Raspberry bush? Anyone? Now that’s a challenge.

I've seen something like a raspberry bush . A mulberry tree puts off a berry that's similar. I've got a few wild ones in my hard I'm waiting to see if they will put off a berry befor I grab them also to make sure that's what they are.

 

[Cajunrider]

The most difficult is a dead tree
They just don't seem to be able to be bonsai

The most difficult is a dead tree
They just don't seem to be able to be bonsai

In other words all indoor junipers.

They are all dead. They just don’t know it yet.

 

[Lorax7]

The most difficult is a dead tree
They just don't seem to be able to be bonsai

I dunno. This maple from the Jack Wikle legacy auction is still convincingly bonsai to my eyes. Put some fresh moss on the surface and take it to a winter silhouette show, how many people would notice that it’s dead?

 

[San Franpsycho]

Oh yeah, trunk chopping and wiring seedlings that sprouted last Wednesday are also incredibly difficult

actually i did both. pretty much.

 

[Paradox]

I dunno. This maple from the Jack Wikle legacy auction is still convincingly bonsai to my eyes. Put some fresh moss on the surface and take it to a winter silhouette show, how many people would notice that it’s dead?
View attachment 450323

But is it a Bonsai or is it a sculpture of a bonsai? I lean toward the second option.

 

[Lorax7]

But is it a Bonsai or is it a sculpture of a bonsai? I lean toward the second option.

Honestly, I haven’t thought that deeply about it. On the one hand, it is often said that, “bonsai is the art of illusion”. On the other hand, bonsai is typically understood to be an art form where living trees are the medium.

 

[Minnesota Madman]

Leaves can reduce, but it doesn't solve the big long internode problem.

Very true.