FINAL SUBMISSIONS - 2020 5 yr Native Tree, Native Pot Challenge

[cishepard]

Time is up for this challenge:

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/the-five-year-native-tree-native-pot-challenge.46006/

Please submit your final photos in this thread for judging. According to the original rules you can submit one tree to be considered for the contest. If you have some others to show for “Honourable Mentions”, please post those in your individual contest threads. Add a link to your contest thread, along with your tree photo, so people can see your tree’s progression.

Also, along with you photo submission, please include a brief description of the pot, indicating it’s country of origin, maker, maybe photos of the bottom showing a mark, chop or signature.

To simplify matters, I think the judging should be based on the number of likes for each entry - open to the general public. Base your choices on the entry that appeals to you most as a bonsai and pot combination - it is a very broad category of trees, with many different starting ages, shapes and sizes. Find the trees that you feel have come the farthest in bonsai development, or that have great future potential and give them the “thumbs up”.

I will extend the deadline for final submissions until Jan. 4th (2 weeks) and the count up of “likes” will end two weeks after that on Jan. 18th.

 

[leatherback]

My prunnus spinoza (https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/5yr-native-tree-challenge-leatherbacks-prunus-spinoza.46817/). I will also update my original thread, as well as my other tree, a beech (https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/5yr-native-tree-challenge-leatherbacks-fagus-sylvatica.50083/)


The pot is a cement pot I made several years ago, and left in the back of the garden to age. That has now happened, giving a nice smooth landscape feel, at least, to me.

And the original tree I started with in 2020:

 

[Gabler]

It figures I'm following Jelle. Anyway, here is my Carpinus caroliniana. My current plan is to extend and thicken that bottom-most branch to bring the movement of the tree more to the right. I also want to improve the ramification, but that will come with time.

This photo is from November, 2025.



This photo is from September.



This photo is from March, 2021, immediately before I collected the tree.



This photo is the bottom of the pot.

 

[Fonz]

Ok,

Here's my entry. Picture taken last week.



Here's the progression thread: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/5yr-native-tree-challenge-fonzs-quercus-robur.46922/

The pot is a nanban by the Belgian Black Pigeon Pottery

I started with this years ago:

 

[Gaitano]

Acer Rubrum forest planting.

A neighbor had a red maple that I always admired, especially in the fall. I collected a bag of seeds one year and germinated a bunch of seedlings. Seven were threaded through a tile that I drilled holes into for better buttressing. A few seedlings were added to the final composition.

The pot is made by Don Lindstrom from Joliet Illinois.

This forest has a long way to go as red maples seem to take a while to refine.


Original post

 

[cishepard]

There were over a hundred originals entries! Surely there are a few more people left who can post an entry.
Let’s try this:
@Underdog @Esolin @RJG2 @Orion_metalhead @Tums @canoeguide @Harewood Hobbyist @Bonsaidoorguy @Woocash @defra @SgtPilko @ShimpakuBonsai @LittleDingus @Forrestford @CreekChalk @River's Edge @Cajunrider
@FreshAirSunshine @Kanorin @Eckhoffw @boguz @notforsale @Johnnyd @Maros @Wires_Guy_wires @Aaron the Great @Linn01 @Crawfordes @Underdog @Tidal Bonsai @rollwithak @jason biggs @Esolin @Balbs @Sputnik 184 @Darren @Shogun610 @ShadyStump @Nickagainst1 @Sno @Perrywinkle @Housguy @Rivka @nissan @Leo in N E Illinois @pnwnovice @Sekibonsai @Jzack605 @PeaceLoveBonsai @Kadebe @Wood @SeanS @Flowerhouse

 

[Orion_metalhead]

mine is coming... just have to spruce up. difficult to find time w/ holidays

 

[River's Edge]

There were over a hundred originals entries! Surely there are a few more people left who can post an entry.
Let’s try this:
@Underdog @Esolin @RJG2 @Orion_metalhead @Tums @canoeguide @Harewood Hobbyist @Bonsaidoorguy @Woocash @defra @SgtPilko @ShimpakuBonsai @LittleDingus @Forrestford @CreekChalk @River's Edge @Cajunrider
@FreshAirSunshine @Kanorin @Eckhoffw @boguz @notforsale @Johnnyd @Maros @Wires_Guy_wires @Aaron the Great @Linn01 @Crawfordes @Underdog @Tidal Bonsai @rollwithak @jason biggs @Esolin @Balbs @Sputnik 184 @Darren @Shogun610 @ShadyStump @Nickagainst1 @Sno @Perrywinkle @Housguy @Rivka @nissan @Leo in N E Illinois @pnwnovice @Sekibonsai @Jzack605 @PeaceLoveBonsai @Kadebe @Wood @SeanS @Flowerhouse

This did not go out as intended, perhaps try reformatting. No message recd. Might require commas to set apart names.
PS: mine is coming, heating the potting shed today to clean up and take photos as required.

 

[River's Edge]

Five Year "Native Tree, Native Pot" Challenge, Ribes Sanguineum, red flowering currant​

The pot was made by Larry Aguilar a local potter here in Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island. I converted it for use as a Bonsai pot as it was the size suitable for this tree and the only local pot I could find. Removed the attached base and drilled drainage holes. The shape is acceptable if not conventional. Larry's signature was on the base which was removed and thrown away. .
As noted in the first post the tree was dug up off the slope from my acreage near Parksville in late March of 2022.

Thread 'Five Year "Native Tree, Native Pot" Challenge, Ribes Sanguineum, red flowering currant'

Apr 15, 2022

Found this growing under a Douglas fir on the slope going down to the river on my acreage and dug it up the beginning of March. Better late than never!
So far it is adapting well to collection, has leafed out and flowered over the past six weeks or so. Bare rooted and placed in pumice after collection.

• River's Edge
• Replies: 14
• Forum: The 2021 Five Year Native Tree Challenge

• 

The natural growth characteristics of this flowering shrub and the basic multi trunk beginnings steered me towards a flame style development! I think it is coming along nicely but will improve with age and size. Appreciate the changing bark appearance showing white patches in the grey within a fairly short period of time.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

@River's Edge Frank, not sure why but your photo is blurry! I'd love to see it nice and clear!

 

[River's Edge]

@River's Edge Frank, not sure why but your photo is blurry! I'd love to see it nice and clear!

With my recent cataract surgery and new glasses, vision is not what I would like, is this better from your point of view. It is untouched raw image.

 

[RJG2]

There were over a hundred originals entries! Surely there are a few more people left who can post an entry.

Mine didn't get potted in time, but people are always welcome to look

Post in thread 'Five Year Native Tree Challenge: RJG2's Ulmus rubra (slippery elm)'

Aug 1, 2025

Quick trim - and by quick, I mean it only took me two weeks intermittently... This summer has been busy, and I'm behind on a lot!

Will need some wiring/organization once the leaves drop, or early spring.

• RJG2

• 
• 

 

[River's Edge]

@River's Edge Frank, not sure why but your photo is blurry! I'd love to see it nice and clear!

If a moderator is willing to delete post #9 and #11 I will repost with clearer images in one post to simplify things for everyone. Seems like a better idea. Perhaps this post as well. Thanks Frank

 

[Orion_metalhead]

If a moderator is willing to delete post #9 and #11 I will repost with clearer images in one post to simplify things for everyone. Seems like a better idea. Perhaps this post as well. Thanks Frank

New post is a little better I think!

 

[Orion_metalhead]

My entry. Pretty happy with the progress on this Pinus Strobus or Eastern White Pine (EWP). I did remove the sacrifice prior to photo. I have to reduce the right branching to one or the other branch in future. Im pleased mostly that I was able to get it fully out of field soil in the 5yr time frame. Ill look to now let it grow out for the next few years and develop the apex, maybe allow a new sacrifice, and decide which right branch will be kept.



Pot by @mwar15

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

My tree is very much no longer with us sadly…. Here’s to those of you who did better than me

 

[Esolin]

I'll post. I wasn't going to after seeing a few of the other entries (all of which look waaay better than my sad half-finished tree). But I came this far, I might as well cross the finish line in 58th place.

Pot is US made by Akimi Bonsai Pots.

Tree Thread

 

[Woocash]

Nice one guys, looking good and @cishepard - extra thanks as I'd forgotten until today! I'll have it ready by the 2nd or 3rd.

 

[Underdog]

Chop mark on the vintage Cherry native pot/container

Pick-up day

summer 2021 in the grow bed.

Today 12/31/2025 Year end pic. froze to the ground.

The top foot or so is sacrifice. Happy New Year Ya'll! Time to go to Florida.

Thread '5yr native tree challenge - Tsuga canadensis, aka eastern hemlock'

Jun 22, 2021

Dug 3/3/2021 put one in the ground and one in a box.

• Underdog
• Replies: 35
• Forum: The 2021 Five Year Native Tree Challenge

• 

 

[Tums]

Last minute! I took the tree out of winter storage for the final photos.

This is an Autumn Brilliance serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora) in a Sam Miller pot. Original thread with picture updates here. I think this is the best result I could expect as I hadn't been paying as much attention to it this year. Overall I would rate serviceberry highly since it responds well to pruning, seems winter hardy, and endured winter rabbit pruning and an unintentional defoliation from drying out while I was out on a weekend trip.

This is the front I originally planned the tree with.



At a recent club meeting, someone suggested I could also turn the tree around 180 degrees. I'm still leaning towards the original orientation but hopefully I can guide it to look good from all angles.
Other suggestions included keeping on top of the thick primary branches and eventually removing the very lowest branch (it isn't growing at a good angle anyway).