I have purchased numerous trees from California. My experience has been that they will look pretty scruffy for the remainder of the year, and ‘normalize’ when they emerge from dormancy the following spring. When I bought an imported azalea from California in October I kept it in my kitchen for the first two weeks, putting it outside during the warm part of the afternoon. Over those two weeks I increased the amount of time outside, gradually exposing it to lower and lower temperatures to help it acclimate.
On the subject of yellow or dropping leaves, there are many, many reasons why this happens, with some species much more prone to do so than others. Relocation shock is right up near the top of the list. There are some ficus that will drop them simply due to a change in location, such as moving inside for winter. I have a Brazilian rain tree that will drop leaves if you give it a dirty look. In my experience there is a good indicator of whether you have a temporary reaction, or a real problem—when the leaves turn yellow or drop, pay close attention to the fine branching, farthest from the trunk. If they remain springy and flexible, your tree is most likely still pretty healthy. If the twigs become dry and brittle, it’s more likely you have a serious problem. The best good news is if you see signs of replacement growth beginning to form.
While you’re waiting to figure this out, I would suggest that you not fertilize, be careful not to water too heavily, and be patient. From what I can tell from your third picture, I think your tree will be fine given some time. Best of luck to you.
Wigert's has a lot of great material, and reasonably priced. (Not talking about the specimen plants for sale) They are also really helpful, if you are looking for something specific. Andrea there is awesome.
www.natureswaybonsai.com
