Pyracantha/Firethorn - Twisted Trunk

[SeanS]

Mine started to yellow and the berries shriveled up after the repot and then one by one started to fall off. It was bare for about 10 days, then started to push new growth all over.

Yours look fine, and even if it does start to shed its coat I wouldn’t be too worried as they seem to bounce back.

How are twisted trunks like this created? The wood and new growth seems so hard and stiff! Are the roots exposed and twisted and eventually fused? Or is a soft cutting taken and then twisted? I can’t see how new growth can be twisted at all because it all seems to be those stiff arrow straight thorn poker things!

Fascinating!

 

[ConorDash]

Mine started to yellow and the berries shriveled up after the repot and then one by one started to fall off. It was bare for about 10 days, then started to push new growth all over.

Yours look fine, and even if it does start to shed its coat I wouldn’t be too worried as they seem to bounce back.

How are twisted trunks like this created? The wood and new growth seems so hard and stiff! Are the roots exposed and twisted and eventually fused? Or is a soft cutting taken and then twisted? I can’t see how new growth can be twisted at all because it all seems to be those stiff arrow straight thorn poker things!

Fascinating!

Id be interested to know too, sorry I don’t know. However, to be honest and burst the bubble..2 out of 3 of these twisted trunks are dead. Where one meets the substrate, it completely broke so I’ve super glued back on as it looks better with it. It’s a very unique looking trunk which is why I love this tree.

 

[SeanS]

Id be interested to know too, sorry I don’t know. However, to be honest and burst the bubble..2 out of 3 of these twisted trunks are dead. Where one meets the substrate, it completely broke so I’ve super glued back on as it looks better with it. It’s a very unique looking trunk which is why I love this tree.

So the twisted trunks is probably made from the roots then? I see a large number of pyracanthas (mine included) have gnarly crossing, twisting exposed roots at the base of the trunks, so maybe that’s the key? Take those roots and twist them and chop the trunk down very low, like right at the root/trunk meeting point and the regrow the top?

 

[ConorDash]

So the twisted trunks is probably made from the roots then? I see a large number of pyracanthas (mine included) have gnarly crossing, twisting exposed roots at the base of the trunks, so maybe that’s the key? Take those roots and twist them and chop the trunk down very low, like right at the root/trunk meeting point and the regrow the top?

View attachment 295298View attachment 295299
View attachment 295300

Maybe you are on to something, my other pyracantha has quite the mess of nebari roots.

DSC_0818 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

 

[ConorDash]

Very nice flower show from the Pyracantha this year. @jeremy_norbury

May 20th:
DSC_1801 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

May 24th:
DSC_1813 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

Today:
DSC_1847 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

 

[Mikecheck123]

they grow long straight pole like branches

This is true. I have a wild, suckering pyracantha in my backyard that is probably 20 feet tall with a trunk that is straight as an arrow and uniformly 1 inch thick. You could use it for pole vaulting.

I'm thinking about splitting it up into cuttings.

 

[Darth Masiah]

So the twisted trunks is probably made from the roots then? I see a large number of pyracanthas (mine included) have gnarly crossing, twisting exposed roots at the base of the trunks, so maybe that’s the key? Take those roots and twist them and chop the trunk down very low, like right at the root/trunk meeting point and the regrow the top?

bonsai shinshi on youtube has a gardenia that looks like this pyra.

trunk formed from roots. then you dont really have to worry about taper as much in the upper trunk. it would be cool to see the development steps in make these twisted root trunks, but I'm sure you could use the same techniques as the exposed root pine guys.

 

[Yorkie]

I would not be concerned with leaf drop until they all fall. Pyracantha seems to be pretty tough. Some of the trees I have collected have had massive root reduction and survived that.
Dropping leaves may also just be part of the natural cycle.
Pyracantha are evergreen but even evergreen leaves have a finite life. The tree regularly replaces old leaves with new ones. Some species replace leaves annually but not all at once like deciduous, others last for 2 or 3 years but still eventually have to be shed. Not sure what pyracantha cycle is as I've only been growing them for a couple of years.

New here chaps but loving the thread. Quick comment to this, I have 2 really thick trunked pyracantha dug from a friend's drive in March this year due to building works, one of them, after the removal of a big root growing straight down was left with absolutely no roots, zero! Didn't fancy it's chances but potted it up in pure sphagnum moss for a couple of months and the roots in that time had filled the box and we're coming out the bottom. Now potted in a big plant pot, in soil, and I will leave it in that for a couple of years but the growth has been fantastic, it's well on its way now.

 

[hinmo24t]

New here chaps but loving the thread. Quick comment to this, I have 2 really thick trunked pyracantha dug from a friend's drive in March this year due to building works, one of them, after the removal of a big root growing straight down was left with absolutely no roots, zero! Didn't fancy it's chances but potted it up in pure sphagnum moss for a couple of months and the roots in that time had filled the box and we're coming out the bottom. Now potted in a big plant pot, in soil, and I will leave it in that for a couple of years but the growth has been fantastic, it's well on its way now.

respectable first post

 

[Yorkie]

respectable first post

Thank you. I'm keen to learn more, had a couple of bonsai as a youngster, Chinese elm, garden centre buy that I managed to kill, but back into it now and trying to learn all I can. Lovely to be here, lots of great knowledge and interesting threads.

 

[Yorkie]

Thank you. I'm keen to learn more, had a couple of bonsai as a youngster, Chinese elm, garden centre buy that I managed to kill, but back into it now and trying to learn all I can. Lovely to be here, lots of great knowledge and interesting threads.

 

[Yorkie]

View attachment 392565View attachment 392566

A small one bought in March this year from a garden centre, potted up and heavily pruned it's responded really well, this picture was probably taken in June, so only two months after the first picture

 

[AlainK]

I finally saved these cuttings taken in 2012 :

 

[aziz31]

Hi everybody
Since I am new to bonsai, please advise me how this trunk twisted start at the first stage, is its root twisted and after a time exposed to the surface or it is stated by twisting some numbers of pyricantha seedling in the early growing stage and those seedlings fused or merged.? or anything else.
Thanks Aziz

 

[BrianBay9]

Hi everybody
Since I am new to bonsai, please advise me how this trunk twisted start at the first stage, is its root twisted and after a time exposed to the surface or it is stated by twisting some numbers of pyricantha seedling in the early growing stage and those seedlings fused or merged.? or anything else.
Thanks Aziz

Most trees you see in this style are produced by exposing twisted roots, or exposing and twisting roots.

 

[aziz31]

Most trees you see in this style are produced by exposing twisted roots, or exposing and twisting roots.

Thanks, Brian for your help answering my question.

 

[AlainK]

I finally saved these cuttings taken in 2012 :

Update :

Among the three (that are all alive!), this year, only the smallest one flowered :