What's the most expensive tree you have killed?

[JLBonsai]

I would say I'm still fairly new to the hobby, purchased my first tree in 2015 and luckily still have that one alive. Through the years I've really only messed with nursery stock and a few older styled trees still in nursery containers. I've always wondered about the large spercimen trees and what it would feel like loosing a really old and expensive tree. Would love to hear some stories and see some pictures of any prized/expensve trees you may have lost. Sorry to bring up old and i'm sure painful memories. With those experiences it certainly helps in not making the same mistakte twice.

 

[_#1_]

Here you go

Some of the nicer trees I've lost.

So, a recent thread here got me thinking about some of the better trees that have unfortunately died under my care. As I pointed out in that thread, it's inevitable to have some losses in this hobby, and the longer you're in the hobby and the more trees you have and work, the greater the...

www.bonsainut.com

This too when you get bored

Who has killed more trees than they have on their benches?

I'm talking bonsai here not the ones that die at work. I can safely say I have. I go through a lot of trees here. What with the voles,the cold and me they barely stand a chance. I'm down to about 140 trees right now,I had close to 250 once. I'm a trees worst nightmare.

www.bonsainut.com

No need to open old wounds when you can just do a search

 

[ChristianDGreat]

Hmm maybe a jap maple (I bought around $150) can't handle the water here in my area (or maybe it's my fault lol)

 

[Pixar]

Probably not the most expensive but I grow a Operculicarya decaryi tree and put it outside to early ( winter weather killed it )

 

[namnhi]

$350. An Ume that live with me for 2 years then died.

 

[yashu]

There were trees I’ve lost that hurt more than the money that was spent on them. Among many, I’ve killed a juniper that I got for a song, that was decent to begin with but then I worked on it, improved it and had it for many years after its initial purchase. The value and investment was much greater than the dollar amount I spent on that tree in the beginning. I’ve lost yamadori that were free apart from my time spent collecting that hurt dearly when they gave up the ghost.

All that said, I have not lost any trees that I spent more than say $100 on. I tend to take a whole lot less risk with such trees.

 

[HardBall]

The most expensive was a $285 older Ginkgo but have also lost a couple of $100 maples among others. This hobby has a steep learning curve...I often describe it as "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat."

But as said above, I have lost "free" collected trees that have stung worse than the money trees. I think it all has to do with the potential of the material.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

JWP was $2000 in 2010, and Peter Warren wired it while he was staying at my house one fall. It died branch by branch the next year.
Korean Hornbeam (import yamadori) was around $1500 in 2008, I defoliated it in the summer and it never really recovered.
The KH hurt worse.

 

[Dav4]

JWP was $2000 in 2010, and Peter Warren wired it while he was staying at my house one fall. It died branch by branch the next year.
Korean Hornbeam (import yamadori) was around $1500 in 2008, I defoliated it in the summer and it never really recovered.
The KH hurt worse.
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I can beat this!!

Meet my Little friend

This is a Satsuki "eikan" I acquired 2 years ago this coming spring. It had been imported/bare rooted the previous winter. I've done a bit of work to it...light pruning this past spring, minor repositioning of some of the branches, and removal of 1/2 of the lowest left branch. It was growing...

www.bonsainut.com

Probably $3500 back in '08'... partially paid for by selling a bunch of my better trees before moving to GA... I wish this was the only expensive tree I've lost... One of the threads posted above by Microscopic was authored by me and I need to update it :l... sigh.

 

[Scorpius]

$2,000

 

[Colorado]

Bald cypress that I probably paid maybe $200 for, can’t remember exactly. Bald cypress not as cold hardy as I gave it credit for, evidently

I am sure there will be more to come sooner or later, hopefully can be minimized though.

 

[Bonsai Orange County]

This Japanese Black Pine bit the dust this year after a nice almost 80 years . Wasn't cheap

 

[vp999]

Several trees between 1k to 1.5k was my most expensive, and tons in the hundreds, but will I ever learn???? Nopeeeeeee lol

 

[Sansokuu]

This thread is why I dont do bonsai. I have enough guilt killing $12 landscape plants.

 

[Potawatomi13]

$75

 

[leatherback]

I have a big arakawa maple on my bench that will not wake up in spring I suppose. Winter dropped in unexpectedly for a few days and it got hit with a 48hrs @ -7c / 19F during my holidays a few weeks back. Tree was in full leaf, now it is black and branches are wrinkled.
Value ~1k (But fortunately not what I paid for it).

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

The second tree I collected in my life, a gnarly literati pine with serious bark and bends that I estimate to be worth 300-500 euros.

Not a tree but I also killed some very expensive novelty plants, worth at least 200 a piece.

 

[Mapleminx]

My favorite satsuki azalea that was killed by vandalism, was worth around 300 so nothing compared to most trees on this thread. But I never really got over it and massivley downsized my collection following its death. The last of my larger trees is set to be sold next year, after that I only have small, young much more inexpensive trees in case anything like that happens again.

 

[BobbyLane]

I think it was this beech I paid £185 for, it sort of went downhill after repotting, I might of clipped some major roots too hard

 

[IzzyG]

Two ~$100 ish mallsai junipers. Lasted about 6 months before both died. Hopefully I won’t have any updates for the list anytime soon!