What are your favorite tree for bonsai?
- Thread starter Dorky_gearhead
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Tieball
Masterpiece
These sound quite interesting. Very cool!mountain hemlocks and yellow cedars
milehigh_7
Mister 500,000
My answer is what grows well where you are. One of the biggest mistakes I have made over the years is reaching for what I can't grow. You are fairly close to @Smoke so I would look at his trees. Tridents, Elms and such.
miker
Chumono
Trident maple
Japanese maple
Beech
Korean Hornbeam
JWP
Spruce
Japanese maple
Beech
Korean Hornbeam
JWP
Spruce
Bavarian Raven
Mame
Half the time, if you know where to look, you can find them already "bonsai" worthy in rocky cracks on exposed bluffs near the top of the local peaks.
Starfox
Masterpiece
Callistemon/Melaleucas
namnhi
Masterpiece
Isn't Callistemon also known as bottle brush? I have one still in 3 gallon can with great bark. How are they doing in regard root prune? Just curious.
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
My favorite trees are native deciduous.
Starfox
Masterpiece
Yeah Cals and Mels are commonly called Bottlebrush and they tend to bark up pretty quickly too which is another bonus of this species.
You can pretty much hit them hard in regards to roots and trunk chops and if you are frost free they can take it all year round although I rather do it(now) at the start of summer as that seems to be the ideal time. Definitely you can clean the roots up and they will hardly miss a beat, not sure I would force them into a bonsai pot with the first root clean out(actually I am going to do just that with one but wouldn't call it good practice) but they are so hardy.
No reason to be afraid of working these trees, they respond to everything.
Giga
Masterpiece
I have love for a lot of species especial odd ones - but my all time favorite tree is ume, hands down. So much so that my right arm is a full sleeve tattoo with a ume tree. Funny thing is it took my 15 years to finally find a large ume. 2017 has been a good year for me so far!
whfarro
Chumono
Maples, maples and maples.
Great in all 4 seasons.
Recently been working with a few amur maples.
Great in all 4 seasons.
Recently been working with a few amur maples.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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Agree, with everyone who mentioned locally native species. Much easier to grow, what ever local you pick.
But I can't help my love of the exotics.
Callistemon and Melaleuca for me would have to be indoors 5 months a year. Full sun is hard to do indoors. But my light garden comes close. LOL. I need to pick one or two up.
But I can't help my love of the exotics.
Callistemon and Melaleuca for me would have to be indoors 5 months a year. Full sun is hard to do indoors. But my light garden comes close. LOL. I need to pick one or two up.
Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Ponderosa Pine and Oaks
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just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
Actually, I do love azaleas, but I prefer Taxus for general bonsai.
Taxus are strong growers, tough plants, take whatever I throw at them....sun, shade, don't care.....little too wet, little too dry, don't care.....can be great for dead wood features and live vein contrast, and nice little leaves too.
Taxus are strong growers, tough plants, take whatever I throw at them....sun, shade, don't care.....little too wet, little too dry, don't care.....can be great for dead wood features and live vein contrast, and nice little leaves too.
Dorky_gearhead
Shohin
Last year i collected a few oaks but none of them survived. I think they might have been sabotaged due to the fact that all 4 were doing really good, they pushed out some leaves then one day their leaves started to wilt, then the next day they were crunchy. I dunno maybe they went for a final push and just couldn't make it.
I'd love to get a few native pines but I know nothing on their growth patterns not their ability to reduce needle size. Research research research...
I'd love to get a few native pines but I know nothing on their growth patterns not their ability to reduce needle size. Research research research...
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
Did you dig them after they had leafed out?
Definitely, research.....that's what I been doing all winter.
aml1014
Masterpiece
I'm my experience oaks can do this, last year I collected 3, all of them leafed out and grew for a month then one day one of them was dead. Under inspection, there was NO root growth whatsoever, the tree just used its energy reserves to grow.
Aaron
I had never heard of that tree before but looking on kaizen bonsai and another site for inspiration and they both had tons of the things! Why are they so abundant this year?
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
Try a few different box store and nursery quince too! Both quince and Cotoneaster like the same methods here
Grimmy
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