Oak species suitable for Bonsai

Lately, I've been enjoying my Quercus palustris trees. I have two in development, and many more I'm growing from seed. They have naturally smaller leaves and internodes than other red oaks, grow vigorously, backbud profusely, and seldom suffer from diseases. They're a popular landscaping tree for large yards, so they're easy to buy, and acorns are easy to come by. I collected about a quarter pound of acorns in a parking lot last fall, and almost all of them germinated this spring.
 
The Warm Canuck said:
So all oaks leaves will reduce and backbud well?
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:rolleyes: The OP asked which oaks are suitable for bonsai in the eastern North America. Since none have really been tried or tried much, it's all pretty much a crap shoot. Whatever oaks grow in the local area are the optimal subjects to use, since there is no real in-depth experience with Eastern U.S. oak species as bonsai.

Not much is known about leaf reduction in eastern oak species. From my experience with a couple of species, yeah, leaves can reduce. Asking how to do it for specific species, however, is a crap shoot. Doesn't make much difference which one you choose, as far as eastern U.S. native oak species go. White oak tends to have larger leaves, pin oak smaller, but it's all relative. Care is pretty much the same. Best trunk and nebari wins, the rest is mostly a crap shoot.
 
I've got LOTS of white oak seedlings in their first year, and some pagoda & cherrybark oaks that are 3 years old I think, along with a couple water/willow hybrids roughly that same age. I'm not very far along in solving them though. I suspect willow, water, and a hybrid of the two would likely be pretty good candidates as far as leaf size. The rest will be an experiment. I'm suspecting they'll behave like Ponderosa pines and will require a density of ramification to reduce the leaf size, but it'll take some time to really figure that out.
 
All oaks I have seen tried as bonsai respond well to bonsai techniques, including leaf size. Obviously leaf reduction is proportional so starting with smaller leaf species will be easier than trying the biggest leaf species.
There are many oak species with a wide range of growth habits an characteristics so there may be some that don't work as well but there are lots that have been tried and all appear to backbud well. I haven't seen any posts anywhere that indicate any species that don't respond.
 
You issue is your location. Cold and wet are the problems.

I would be careful about using Western U.S. oak species, as well as Southern U.S. oak species (live oak, willow oak for instance), as well as European cork oak. Although those species have been used successfully as bonsai, they're not going to be hardy in your area. Willow oak is a great bonsai candidate,( shallow roots easy to collect, small leaves dense branching) but here in Va. I'm at the Northern end of its natural range. Same for live oak.

Western oak species tend to like drier conditions and humidity East of the Mississippi tends to be too heavy for them to thrive. Cold wet winters don't help either.

I could have said those species make good bonsai (I've had them as bonsai), but they are all not really suited for your area without substantial winter protection. That is why I pointed you to the local nursery. Not to get a tree, but to see what oaks will survive in your area.
 
The oaks that we have growing naturally in the Taconic range of southwestern Vermont, which should be a similar climate to Ontario, are the red oak, white oak, and chestnut oak. I have also planted oaks in the white oak family with the common names of swamp white oak, bur English oak, and gobbler oak in our landscape and they have grown well. These white oak variants have an interesting bark that has large flakes. The main virtue of these oaks are that they produce heavy crops of acorns for the benefit of wildlife. I can't say how good they are for bonsai.
 
In terms of Eastern US/CA native oaks, the closest thing to a dwarf species is the bear oak (Quercus ilicifolia). They have a bushy form around here, and leaves are about half the size of other oaks. I haven't found any info out there on them as bonsai but I collected 2 this winter and they seem to be doing well so far. That said, you may be a bit too far north to find them in the woods nearby, and I don't think there are many nursiries growing them- but it may be worth some googling.

Other than that I'd say just go with whatever the biggest oak you can find at the nursery or dig up from the woods nearby (with permission of course)!
 
chance said:
In terms of Eastern US/CA native oaks, the closest thing to a dwarf species is the bear oak (Quercus ilicifolia). They have a bushy form around here, and leaves are about half the size of other oaks. I haven't found any info out there on them as bonsai but I collected 2 this winter and they seem to be doing well so far. That said, you may be a bit too far north to find them in the woods nearby, and I don't think there are many nursiries growing them- but it may be worth some googling.

Other than that I'd say just go with whatever the biggest oak you can find at the nursery or dig up from the woods nearby (with permission of course)!
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0_O beeeeeaaaaarrrrrr oooaaaaaak … I must collect
 
Javaman4373 said:
The oaks that we have growing naturally in the Taconic range of southwestern Vermont, which should be a similar climate to Ontario, are the red oak, white oak, and chestnut oak. I have also planted oaks in the white oak family with the common names of swamp white oak, bur English oak, and gobbler oak in our landscape and they have grown well. These white oak variants have an interesting bark that has large flakes. The main virtue of these oaks are that they produce heavy crops of acorns for the benefit of wildlife. I can't say how good they are for bonsai.
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Yes I’m looking to collect white oak … I’ve seen 1 that was very very old and not able to collect. I had an awesome white oak but it died .. I’m still mourning its loss.. I need to find an east coast native , that’s old , Cragly ass bark , and good foliage size
 
Javaman4373 said:
The oaks that we have growing naturally in the Taconic range of southwestern Vermont, which should be a similar climate to Ontario, are the red oak, white oak, and chestnut oak. I have also planted oaks in the white oak family with the common names of swamp white oak, bur English oak, and gobbler oak in our landscape and they have grown well. These white oak variants have an interesting bark that has large flakes. The main virtue of these oaks are that they produce heavy crops of acorns for the benefit of wildlife. I can't say how good they are for bonsai.
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For fun last year, I put one of the acorns from the landscape 'Swamp White Oaks' in my complex, on top of a random pot that had dirt in it, and the oak actually started growing this spring. Already about 18" tall, it's probly not getting enough sun or nutrients... but it looks happy. Guess I'll start feeding it, since they seem to grow rapidly, and see what I can make out of it.

Like you, I could collect pounds of acorns each year if I wanted to. If there hasn't been much study on them I feel better about trying them, as opposed to trying things I've been told don't really work like 'ERC' and 'Rose of Sharon'.

Think I'll collect a bunch when they fall this year if I can, the squirrels have already taken most of them to store away. 😆
 
I looked into oaks a bit, they are "underutilized", possibly for reason. There are hundreds of species in North America, and many natural hybrids, intergrades and hybrid swarms. Diving into oak taxonomy could lead to madness.

What do we want in a species for bonsai?

Small leaves, for most oaks leaves will reduce. but some oaks have rather large leaves to start. I have gotten nice reduction of burr oak leaves from over 5 inches to about 1 inch, but could not get much smaller than 1 inch. (so far, 10 years with a seedling)

Short internodes for better branch structure. Again oaks are not noted for short internodes, this can be managed pruning.

Bark, a good species for bonsai develops a coarse, rugged bark, preferably at an early age. Bark strongly contributes to the illusion of age and is something to be considered in choosing a species. Oaks have a range of bark types, from smooth, to checkered, to furrowed, to really coarse and fissured as in the burr oak. To the exaggerated bark of the Mediterranean cork oak.

Hardiness, oaks are definitely not ideal for under lights, though a fair number of people have been raising cork oak under lights, most species benefit from a cool to cold dormant winter rest. If you choose locally native oaks or oaks native to regions colder than your home, you can winter them outdoors with little or no protection. Burr oak has an ecotype that is hardy into USDA zone 3. Sheffield's sells seed of different burr oak ecotypes. A hardy oak makes wintering easier.

So given the above thoughts. The oaks I would recommend for Ontario Canada would be swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor) for its hardiness and coarse bark. Also white oak (Quercus alba) for its bark and hardiness. I have worked some with a single seedling of burr oak, now 10 years old. Have not been able to get leaves smaller than 1 inch, quickly leaves revert to 5 inch monster leaves in spring. Branching (ramification) has been sparse. It still looks like a stick in a pot.

Collecting oaks, starting with a thick trunk is the best idea, but reports are spotty as to success. Some have success, many have failure collecting older in ground trees. I have no experience.
 
I don't think one can generalize about oaks. I'm only familiar with west coast species, but they are highly variable. Obviously cork bark oaks (Q suber) have been widely used and work well. Coast live oak (Q agrifolia) can be collected with substantial trunks and have small leaves that still reduce. They are pretty aggressive growers. Maybe some scrub oaks can be collected - small leaves, but pretty slow growers. Valley oaks (Q lobata) seem to be nearly impossible to collect with substantial trunks. But nursery specimens work well, back bud readily, grow like crazy and will reduce leaves to at least 1/10 of normal.

Every oak species is a new adventure.
 
BrianBay9 said:
I don't think one can generalize about oaks. I'm only familiar with west coast species, but they are highly variable. Obviously cork bark oaks (Q suber) have been widely used and work well. Coast live oak (Q agrifolia) can be collected with substantial trunks and have small leaves that still reduce. They are pretty aggressive growers. Maybe some scrub oaks can be collected - small leaves, but pretty slow growers. Valley oaks (Q lobata) seem to be nearly impossible to collect with substantial trunks. But nursery specimens work well, back bud readily, grow like crazy and will reduce leaves to at least 1/10 of normal.

Every oak species is a new adventure.
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This is absolutely true. I was thinking of my local northern USA species. The check list of what to look for when choosing was my key point . Every region will have its own list of candidate species.
 
I love oaks and have an assortment of them. All of my white oaks are youngish, I'm guessing 5-6 years, half inch trunks, and only leaves on top. Will they back bud if you chop the trunk? I've bought them and all my oaks at local plant sales and nurseries that sell native plants.
 
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