My Flying Dragon...did he draw blood

[Cadillactaste]

Thanks to @Mellow Mullet for his thread on his Flying Dragon.

A tree I seen ten years ago at a nursery. It was in bloom...and it drew me to it. Then...I paused. Those hooked thorns. I remember being in awe and completely horrified as well. I left without it. But it haunted me enough to go back to buy it. Sadly, it had been sold. Summer help remembered it...but not the species. It has haunted me as I have hunted for one every spring. With no idea of what it was...until John posted his. It recollected this tree...and I reached out to Jason Schley who had one. (Score!)

When it arrived. I knew I needed to get those branches pulled down to fill in the void. Guy wires...or wire it out...I wasn't sure.





So this happened...close up video of wired branches.

Here is an image taken off of a search...of them in bloom.


No blood was lost in wiring this tree. He bit...but no blood drawn.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Just so I don't forget the name my friend William (who can't stand names for bonsai) named this tree. Because it deserves one apparently.

Vlad the Impailer

Nice one William! He comes here sometimes. But forget his name here.

 

[Drewski]

I picked up one of these a little while ago, and have used guy wires to position the branches. The new growth is all over the place and wanting to get tangled up with the existing growth, so more guy wires needed. I was wondering when to prune unwanted branches. After a little googling, I’ve come up with don’t prune in late fall/winter. So, I’m guessing after the new growth hardens off would be good.

Yours looks great.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I picked up one of these a little while ago, and have used guy wires to position the branches. The new growth is all over the place and wanting to get tangled up with the existing growth, so more guy wires needed. I was wondering when to prune unwanted branches. After a little googling, I’ve come up with don’t prune in late fall/winter. So, I’m guessing after the new growth hardens off would be good.

Yours looks great.

I intend to prune as Scott Lee suggested the Kumquat. With both citrus and all.

His advice for the kumquat:
He usually prune them pretty hard in the spring if you're developing them.

But if it's not needing pruned with not being overly out of shape...then early June would be my next look at pruning. Those were the two periods which he said to prune my citrus kumquat.

Which was why I did prune my flying dragon once it settled in here and acclimated for a month. I wired...found my shape and pruned what was out of my area for a nice canopy. I really wanted to control the placement of main structure with first styling. Which was why I didn't apply guy wires. I wanted more control...for that.

Have you shared yours anywhere around here? Would love to see it! By the way...thanks for the kind words.

I was told to be careful of wiring new growth. It needs to harden off a little or snaps off. That said...I didn't wire the tips of the branches I wired...because of that. I am also wanting to wire another branch. But it is new growth and needs to harden off a bit first. I don't want to lose it by doing it to soon.

 

[Michael P]

Can these be propagated from cuttings? A friend has a large one in his landscape he may remove. It is much too big (and too dangerous!) to dig for bonsai, but maybe a cutting or several. . .

 

[Cadillactaste]

Can these be propagated from cuttings? A friend has a large one in his landscape he may remove. It is much too big (and too dangerous!) to dig for bonsai, but maybe a cutting or several. . .

@RKatzin has taken cuttings.

Now, I might relook at the one in the landscape. Pruning back hard to collect if the trunk is worth it.

 

[JoeR]

Can these be propagated from cuttings? A friend has a large one in his landscape he may remove. It is much too big (and too dangerous!) to dig for bonsai, but maybe a cutting or several. . .

They are easy to propagate from cutting. I've stuck branches in bottles with a little bit of water in the bottom and had them root. Just a clean cut, maybe 6" or so branches, stick in perlite or whatever medium you have for rooting

 

[RKatzin]

Can these be propagated from cuttings? A friend has a large one in his landscape he may remove. It is much too big (and too dangerous!) to dig for bonsai, but maybe a cutting or several. . .

I've made lots of cuttings from mine. I take pieces of last year's growth and any basal suckers. Plant them in pumice fines and keep in a humidity hut until they show new growth. I'm going to attempt an airlayer of a bigger piece this year.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Just playing around today...hints of fall foliage peaking on this one.

 

[Pixar]

Nice

 

[berzerkules]

I want one. so many cool trees I've never seen before.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Tamed...and I love the control wiring it permits. I seen this image over on Instagram...and it made me itch to want to get in there and control it as well. Alas...that won't happen. But...a fun species...

 

[penumbra]

I'm going to attempt an airlayer of a bigger piece this year.

I layered a couple pencil thick ones a couple years back. They had developed decent roots in 3 weeks but I seperated them at 6 weeks.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I layered a couple pencil thick ones a couple years back. They had developed decent roots in 3 weeks but I seperated them at 6 weeks.

Any threads on them?

 

[Michael P]

I layered a couple pencil thick ones a couple years back. They had developed decent roots in 3 weeks but I seperated them at 6 weeks.

What time of year did you do the air layer? I am still coveting the one in my friend's landscape.

 

[KateM]

I have one in the ground about 6 feet tall. This thread makes me want to try... I has seedlings under it. Not sure if they inherit contored character. I also have a couple non-contorted ones...

 

[penumbra]

Any threads on them?

Unfortunately not but it was very straight forward.

What time of year did you do the air layer? I am still coveting the one in my friend's landscape.

In your climate I would do it now. I did mine later in spring because I am lazy.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Unfortunately not but it was very straight forward.

They were successful...yes? I was just hoping to admire your trees. As not seen so often.

 

[penumbra]

They were successful...yes? I was just hoping to admire your trees. As not seen so often.

I think I only have one small one left in the cold frame. I sold the large one and a small one. I couldn't tame them.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I think I only have one small one left in the cold frame. I sold the large one and a small one. I couldn't tame them.

Ahhh...well, I'm glad you kept the one. I'm also glad to hear they all were successful!