MY little hip Hawthorn

[Dav4]

First, I'd like to thank Brian Van Fleet for giving me the opportunity to acquire this excelent piece of stock. He collected it a few years ago, placed it in his "grow out" garden, and offered it to me last fall. A week ago last Sunday, I took a trip to Birmingham to pick it up. Brian had already dug it (it was pouring when I go there...thanks again Brian), so we potted it up in the large mica pot I brought. I went ahead and pruned away what wouldn't work and wired for movement...there are probably a few extra branches that won't make the final design, but I'm being cautious for now...they can be removed later. The base is awesome as you can see, but the majority of branches were growing from my chosen front, so they're gone now. I'm hoping some new buds might pop on the back...It'll work either way, I think. The plan is to grow it out for a few years in this pot and build the main branching, then refine and work on ramification. Comments always welcome.

Dave

 

[Poink88]

Congrats!

I learned about it a few minutes later than I should...otherwise, that could have been mine.

Really awesome tree and tons of potential. I know you will do much better job than I could possibly give it so I am glad you got it.

 

[JudyB]

Pic two makes me drool.
I love the way the skin bunches up like an elephants foot...
I hope this moves along quickly for you.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Nice start! Looks familiar in a lot of ways, but with a better base.
Looking forward to seeing it develop.

 

[Tieball]

Fabulous material

I am really interested in the progress of this tree. Hopefully....you'll keep us posted along the way of even the early development stages.

I have some special interest in what you will do with and around the chopped top area.

 

[Zach Smith]

First, I'd like to thank Brian Van Fleet for giving me the opportunity to acquire this excelent piece of stock. He collected it a few years ago, placed it in his "grow out" garden, and offered it to me last fall. A week ago last Sunday, I took a trip to Birmingham to pick it up. Brian had already dug it (it was pouring when I go there...thanks again Brian), so we potted it up in the large mica pot I brought. I went ahead and pruned away what wouldn't work and wired for movement...there are probably a few extra branches that won't make the final design, but I'm being cautious for now...they can be removed later. The base is awesome as you can see, but the majority of branches were growing from my chosen front, so they're gone now. I'm hoping some new buds might pop on the back...It'll work either way, I think. The plan is to grow it out for a few years in this pot and build the main branching, then refine and work on ramification. Comments always welcome.

Dave

I assume you'll be making a broom-form tree out of this specimen. You'll need another two or three years to thicken the leaders you've identified so that the transition is believable. I'd suggest not doing any pruning on them for at least this year, then cutting back hard once you get enough thickness.

Great base, and as someone else noted the compression ridges are awesome. I get that pretty frequently on the Mayhaws I collect.

Zach

 

[Dav4]

Nice start! Looks familiar in a lot of ways, but with a better base.
Looking forward to seeing it develop.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"

Your hawthorn is one of the nicest deciduous trees I've seen...if it weren't for those darn storms, I would have spent alot more time staring at it, memorizing it, trying to understand everything about it that makes me say "wow". My hope, with this new stock, is to try to develop it into a believable bonsai...if it approaches the success you had with your tree, I'll be thrilled.

Dave

 

[Dav4]

I assume you'll be making a broom-form tree out of this specimen. You'll need another two or three years to thicken the leaders you've identified so that the transition is believable. I'd suggest not doing any pruning on them for at least this year, then cutting back hard once you get enough thickness.

Great base, and as someone else noted the compression ridges are awesome. I get that pretty frequently on the Mayhaws I collect.

Zach

Thanks Zack. Yes, I'm going for a broom form, and I agree that the leaders need to thicken up. I did prune them back a fair bit when I wired them out, hoping to get a little backbudding, but that should do it for this year.

 

[Dav4]

I

I have some special interest in what you will do with and around the chopped top area.

That area will eventually be carved, but not for a year or two...I want the leaders to get established first.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Just means you will have to plan a return visit, Dave. Zach made a good point, which I failed to do with mine. Let those branches run and thicken, then cut them back hard. Shorter than I left mine initially. You might try to add a little more wiggle to them now while you still can...

Also, fwiw, wire scars on my primary branches are still visible after 11 years from that initial wiring, so keep a close eye on those wires this summer!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

A quick look back...mine in '02, at about the stage yours is in presently:


Now, 11 years later, those primary branches could use more movement, and to have been pruned shorter:

 

[fore]

That's a really nice tree Dave! Congrats! Nice find Brian, and that's fantastic progression for 11 yrs.!

 

[discusmike]

What type of hawthorn is this?

 

[Dav4]

What type of hawthorn is this?

Little Hip Hawthorn, Crataegus spathulatu

 

[Dav4]

This one was unwired yesterday during my Father's Day festivities. Clearly a vigorous grower, the wires were beginning to bite in, so off they came. Right now, my plan is to feed it lots and give it as much sun as my yard allows.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Lookin' fat and happy!

 

[JudyB]

Yeah, pretty awesome. Bet you're thrilled with this one.

 

[Zach Smith]

This one was unwired yesterday during my Father's Day festivities. Clearly a vigorous grower, the wires were beginning to bite in, so off they came. Right now, my plan is to feed it lots and give it as much sun as my yard allows.

Your hawthorn is coming along very nicely. I just unwired several of mine (along with many other trees). It's that time of year.

Zach

 

[Dav4]

The growing season is officially over here in N. GA...23 F 2 mornings in a row last week put an end to it. Within a few days of the freeze, my hawthorn started to change color from its vibrant summer green to splashes of yellow and crimson...not whole sale but in small sections, here and there.

 

[Poink88]

Really awesome tree. That nebari & flared base is killer!

It would have been more powerful (I think) if the trunk was shortened by as much as a third and the lower branches used instead. But I am a chopper so I am biased.

Regardless, this has the making of an awesome tree...could be equal or better than Brian's tree just because of the flared base which to me is more appealing.