Shogun610
Masterpiece
No grafts please
What kind of material would you like to see more of?
- Thread starter Piedmont Bonsai
- Start date
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
Trees I would like to see more of:
American natives:
Dwarf sugar maple varieties (chalk maples, Florida maples)
Virginia persimmon (females)
American elm (Princeton var.)
Dwarf Chestnut (chinkapin, pumila)
Asian species:
Japanese maple cutting-grown cultivars
Japanese white pine (non-grafted)
Japanese red pine (non-grafted)
Lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana)
Princess persimmons (females)
Satsuki azaleas
Juniperus rigida
Chinese quince
I will add to this list as others come to me...
American natives:
Dwarf sugar maple varieties (chalk maples, Florida maples)
Virginia persimmon (females)
American elm (Princeton var.)
Dwarf Chestnut (chinkapin, pumila)
Asian species:
Japanese maple cutting-grown cultivars
Japanese white pine (non-grafted)
Japanese red pine (non-grafted)
Lacebark pine (Pinus bungeana)
Princess persimmons (females)
Satsuki azaleas
Juniperus rigida
Chinese quince
I will add to this list as others come to me...
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Piedmont Bonsai
Shohin
Cutting grown Japanese maples will be a primary focus for me as it is a favorite species of mine.
I really want to grow red and white pines, but I need to find a quality seed source first. I bought red pine seeds from Sheffields a few years back but they were not true red pines.
Juniperus Rigida will be in the works but it will take a few years!
Piedmont Bonsai
Shohin
I generally avoid grafts, but I have seen some Zuisho grafted on black pine that look really cool over time.
Ruddigger
Omono
Cork elms would be cool as well.
shohin_branches
Omono
If I could get decent Japanese white pine starter material for under $100 that isn't grafted with half rotten roots I would be so happy.
Piedmont Bonsai
Shohin
I have one cork elm i will take cuttings this year when i do routine pruning
BobbyLane
Imperial Masterpiece
Oak.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
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Having spent time with the Ag Extension people in Michigan, I do understand why they are nervous about introducing and yet another potentially invasive species that can host economically disastrous diseases like Prunus spinosa. Why not just try Prunus americanus - the American plum instead, it is native to most of North American including much of Canada, plenty winter hardy, and like P. spinosa it flowers before leafing out. It carries almost as many diseases, so you won't be missing out on disease issues. All in all the wild North American plum is a pretty good bonsai choice. Gnarly specimens can be found or created.
Actually there are several species of wild North American prunus species that can be used, variously called "cherries" and "plums" such as choke cherries, beach cherries, sand cherries and beach plums, All are Prunus species, native to North America. Some are shrubby and difficult to train as single trunk trees, particularly choke cherries and sand cherries. But they are native and available.
What surprises me is that more people don't use culinary fruit trees as bonsai. In particular, the culinary plum cultivars and the apricot cultivars. The Italian prune plum types, like 'Damson' have smaller fruit, and really would be only somewhat out of scale as a bonsai tree. Culinary plums flower before leafing out, much like ume, only not quite as early. Culinary sweet or sour cherries could be quite attractive. Culinary apricot trees flower before leafing out, and would be delightful as bonsai.
Actually there are several species of wild North American prunus species that can be used, variously called "cherries" and "plums" such as choke cherries, beach cherries, sand cherries and beach plums, All are Prunus species, native to North America. Some are shrubby and difficult to train as single trunk trees, particularly choke cherries and sand cherries. But they are native and available.
What surprises me is that more people don't use culinary fruit trees as bonsai. In particular, the culinary plum cultivars and the apricot cultivars. The Italian prune plum types, like 'Damson' have smaller fruit, and really would be only somewhat out of scale as a bonsai tree. Culinary plums flower before leafing out, much like ume, only not quite as early. Culinary sweet or sour cherries could be quite attractive. Culinary apricot trees flower before leafing out, and would be delightful as bonsai.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,490
- Reaction score
- 23,853
- USDA Zone
- 5b
Peaches and nectarines have lovely purple-pink flowers, before the leaves, but ramification is coarse, they would be acceptable only for the largest sizes of bonsai or in ground Niwaki.
shohin_branches
Omono
I struggle with peach leaf curl on my yard peach trees if I don't remember to spray them in fall and spring. I have two neighbors with unmaintained peach trees within a half block radius. It's a huge bummer.
Maiden69
Masterpiece
I think Zuisho is propagated in Japan by cuttings. That should make it slightly easier than hoping for a graft to end up at the right place for it to look right.
And super easy to propagate through cuttings and root cuttings! Root cuttings of Yatsubusa stay pliable for a few years, making them easier to wire into position before they start corking up.
Prunus incisa and prunus mexicana as well. I have not seen mexicana sold in any of the bonsai nurseries I have searched.
I bought one thinking about making it a bonsai only to realize this... very coarse ramification, but lovely deep pink / fuchsia color.
Piedmont Bonsai
Shohin
It is propagated by cutting but not always via cuttings. There are many examples of grafted zuisho including this one from the national bonsai museum. Zuisho thickens as fast as black pine so the grafts in general will blend together well.
TomP
Yamadori
I airlayered a Zuisho three years ago following instructions from Julian Adams. Trying another one now.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I would love to see people work more with cedar elm. It remains one of the most viable and workable North American species for bonsai. Superior (IMO) to Chinese elm. It remains mostly confined to the SE US because no one is cultivating it in large numbers for bonsai use. A shame.
Piedmont Bonsai
Shohin
I agree with this. I had a handful of younger saplings that I was going to propagate from but they unfortunately died over winter
Goodbrake
Mame
I once germinated a bunch of mexicana from seed, but didn't have the space to keep them healthy. Once I move into the new place, I may try again.
As far as the original thread goes, we can always use more fruiting and flowering shohin.
CapeCodBonsai
Shohin
You talked me into it Leo.
I think I will try growing a few Prunus americanus. I do have other Prunus species growing now; Prunus mahaleb, Prunus pumila, and Prunus maritima, and of course Prunus mume.
I was determined to grow Prunus spinosa mainly because I fell in love with the black bark it develops with age.
(that, and for personal reasons, I’m considering growing a natural barbed wire hedge between my property and my neighbor’s
)When I found a North American (reputable) nursery as source for Blackthorn, I guess I assumed that the Plum Pox Virus was a non-issue as far as introducing that particular disease. I advocated for propagating it for the U.S. bonsai community because, I assumed other practitioners (like me) would just have to have those white flowers contrasting against that black bark. Admittedly, that might be an incorrect assumption.
Anyway, Prunus americanus here I come!
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Shogun610
Masterpiece
Yes oak so elusive to find good material
Tidal Bonsai
Omono
I love the idea of making some more unique stock. I would love to see more twisted junipers, root over rock trees (deciduous or conifer) and clump material in the northeast.
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