My 8 year old Zelkova schneideriana from seed

[IIReignManII]

Before and after a fresh prune

 

[Bonsai Nut]

How do you know it is a zelkova? Zelkovas have pointed leaves. This tree has rounded leaves like a standard Chinese elm.

 

[IIReignManII]

It's how the nursery had them labeled so I've never thought to question it.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

It's how the nursery had them labeled so I've never thought to question it.

I don't want to bad-mouth the nursery, but I have seen all kinds of plants mislabeled. This tree doesn't strike me as a tree anyone grew from seed as a pre-bonsai. It looks very much like an imported mass-produced Chinese elm. That doesn't mean it's a bad tree - it is actually the species I recommend to anyone first starting out in bonsai.

This is what a Zelkova schneideriana looks like:

 

[Don Redwood]

It looks like a Zelkova schneideriana to me. https://bonsaitreeimg.blogspot.com/2018/12/zelkova-bonsai-tree.html The bark and leaves look like Zelkova schneideriana. It also does look like an elm, but Zelkova schneideriana is called Japanese elm, because it is related to elms and looks like an elm.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

That "Zelkova schneideriana" looks very much like a comercial Chinese elm Ulmus parvifolia "chinese malsai" they are often mislabeled as zelkova, for a lot of people were our first bonsai they are produced by thousands by root and branch cuttings and the age its just generic not really his age

 

[leatherback]

. https://bonsaitreeimg.blogspot.com/2018/12/zelkova-bonsai-tree.html

That post makes an excellent point to not visit that blog. Mixing zelkova and ulmus.

Zelkova schneideriana is called Japanese elm,

Zelkova Serrata is also know as a japanese elm. Does not make it an elm.


Look at the length of the branches. Zelkova has litte bends at each leaf. Ulmus has straight branches. The zigzag is telling.

Zelkova schneideriana Hand.-Mazz. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science

The native range of this species is SE. Tibet to Central & S. China. It is a tree and grows primarily in the temperate biome.

www.plantsoftheworldonline.org

 

[Clicio]

You can call it whatever you wish; Bertha, Mathilda or Zelkova, but it is still an Ulmus.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Gotta sell them powder blue Japanese Maple seeds to someone... PT was right.