Anyone have experience with Breynia Disticha (snowbush)?

[BillsBayou]

Anyone have practical experience with Breynia disticha (snowbush)??

A local garden center has pre-bonsai and I found a snowbush in a 4-inch pot. General care of a tropical is easy enough, but I want to know more about this species as a bonsai. Google doesn't help too much or I'm not searching for the right terms.

The two unknowns for me are

• Can it be leaf-pruned?
• Can it be bare-rooted?

Here's a BNut post from 2017:

I believe your plant is commonly called a Snowbush or Breynia disticha
See http://www.bonsaigardener.org/snowbush-bonsai-care.html
or http://www.bonsaiboy.com/catalog/snowbushcare.html

They are easy to propagate by cuttings.
If they get a lot of light , the leaves start showing a little pink.

The first link is helpful to a point. However, the photo at the top of the Bonsai Gardener page is of a white bougainvillea, not a snowbush. That lowers my confidence level.
The second link is for Bonsai Boy. My confidence in them bottomed out a long long time ago. Their snowbush care techniques are rather generic for a tropical.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

I have one, very delicate tender tropical plants, with pruning I always go with some caution, I dont left bare branches without some green, they are not cold tolerant dont let them below 15 celsius. I keep them in half shade they dont like a lot of sun

 

[BillsBayou]

I have one, very delicate tender tropical plants, with pruning I always go with some caution, I dont left bare branches without some green, they are not cold tolerant dont let them below 15 celsius. I keep them in half shade they dont like a lot of sun

What is your repotting recommendation for going from nursery soil to bonsai soil?

 

[Crazy Diamond]

They like water and a bit of organic matter, never let them dry out too much, repot them as any tropical just on the conservative side pruning roots

 

[BillsBayou]

They like water and a bit of organic matter, never let them dry out too much, repot them as any tropical just on the conservative side pruning roots

Fantastic. Thanks for the help!

 

[Weaponman]

I have one, very delicate tender tropical plants, with pruning I always go with some caution, I dont left bare branches without some green, they are not cold tolerant dont let them below 15 celsius. I keep them in half shade they dont like a lot of sun

I’m not sure if you are talking about the same plants because I have one, and I literally abuse the shit out of it, hoping it would die and it never has. Takes major pruning like a champ and is very drought tolerant. Doesn’t mind being pot bound. Takes part sun no problems other than vertical growth habit

 

[KateM]

I’m not sure if you are talking about the same plants because I have one, and I literally abuse the shit out of it, hoping it would die and it never has. Takes major pruning like a champ and is very drought tolerant. Doesn’t mind being pot bound. Takes part sun no problems other than vertical growth habit

Pics, please?
I have one grown as a house plant that lives outside in the summer. I find it drought tolerant.
It's never been cut back, but I would like to know if it can be done.
I'll take a pic of mine tomorrow. It's dark now.

 

[KateM]

Here is mine. It's the red variety. No plans to do anything this year, but weed and bring inside for winter. It needs a repot a d I would like to reduce the hight next summer.