Smoke Tree

[Paradox]

This is a smoke tree I purchased from Home Depot in June of 2013



In September of 2013, I broke a few "rules" and did a major pruning on the tree and reduced it down to one trunk. In April 2014, it was amazingly still alive and I repotted it.
Here is what it looked like then. It was a pretty sad looking tree.



I just let it grow in 2014 and left it alone in the hopes that it would back bud.
This past April, I could see that it was not back budding down the trunk as I had hoped.
So in a "sink or swim/live or die" action, I cut it back hard.
Well to my amazement, the damn thing started back budding like crazy so I repotted it again because the soild I had it in before was staying to wet. This has definitely been the biggest surprise of 2015 so far and I am happy with where it is going.

 

[Tieball]

I like it. Well done. I have one of these trees in an early stage still developing a trunk. They seem to grow rapidly and back bud on old wood. Sometimes the buds are in good locations. What's the trunk diameter on your tree?

 

[Paradox]

What's the trunk diameter on your tree?

2 inches just above the roots

 

[Tieball]

Excellent tree. Thanks for the diameter detail.

 

[Vin]

So in a "sink or swim/live or die" action, I cut it back hard.
Well to my amazement, the damn thing started back budding like crazy so I repotted it again because the soild I had it in before was staying to wet. This has definitely been the biggest surprise of 2015 so far and I am happy with where it is going.

One thing I've learned as my journey into bonsai progresses; always expect and be prepared for the unexpected.

A Smoke tree without any pink. WHAT!

 

[Paradox]

Thanks Tieball. I am pretty happy with how it is doing now. Much more vigorous than I thought it was. For a Home Depot tree it isnt bad at all.

One thing I've learned as my journey into bonsai progresses; always expect and be prepared for the unexpected.

A Smoke tree without any pink. WHAT!

I had read in a landscape shrub/tree manual that these can be coppiced (cut back hard) so I decided to give it a shot.

Lol the tree has purple leaves though so I think it counts.

 

[Lazylightningny]

I havent seen these at my local HD. Cool looking tree. I'll be looking for them now since we're neighbors.

 

[Paradox]

I havent seen these at my local HD. Cool looking tree. I'll be looking for them now since we're neighbors.

Just make sure you get one with a trunk. Sometimes they are a bunch of smaller ones in the same pot.

I have also seen them at non box store nurseries but they arent super common. The Home Depot near me only had 3 that I saw the year I bought this one. This one was there for over a month before I bought it. I liked these because I was looking for something with a different color. I kept going back and looking at it before I finally bought it. Im glad I did.

 

[Giga]

Have you seen this one? I think it's the same type

http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t821-purple-smokebush

I think I might be on the lookout now, great tree you have there!

 

[Paradox]

Thanks Giga.

Yes I did see that one. In fact that tree was what inspired me to try them.

 

[pweifan]

How's this tree doing?

 

[Paradox]

How's this tree doing?

Still alive but doesnt look much different from the last picture.
Not sure if they respond to leaf reduction techniques or not.
Ive starting treating it like you would a maple (pinching new shoots after 2) so we will see.

 

[Paradox]

How's this tree doing?

Picture taken tonight:

 

[pweifan]

I think it looks great!

 

[just.wing.it]

That's beautiful!

 

[petegreg]

I like the trunk line, the canopy as well. And the forming base and the autumn colour. Nice feminine tree. How is it tall, a feet or so?

 

[GrimLore]

Picture taken tonight:

That's quite a change for the good! The bark on that is unusual, like it a lot as well

Grimmy

 

[Paradox]

I like the trunk line, the canopy as well. And the forming base and the autumn colour. Nice feminine tree. How is it tall, a feet or so?

It's about 16 to 18 inches tall I think. I have not actually measured it.

For reference, the pot is a 10 inch pot, the base of the tree is around 2 inches.

 

[Paradox]

I like the trunk line, the canopy as well. And the forming base and the autumn colour. Nice feminine tree. How is it tall, a feet or so?

Also, that is not fall color. That is it's normal color. It is a purple smoke tree.

 

[mrt1]

Tree looks great! Mine has been potted for a couple seasons now. Anyone offer a suggestion to get these guys to smoke every year? Maybe a fert regimen? Something else? Thx.