Anyone? Korean mountain ash (Sorbus alnifolia)

[RJG2]

Has anyone seen or tried a Korean mountain ash bonsai? It seems like a great candidate. Unlike native mountain ash (Rowan), the leaves are not compound - plus, fall color and berries are great!

My Google searches came up empty, aside from a couple passing comments here between @Leo in N E Illinois and myself.

Anyway - I'm now motivated to give it a shot. I have a handful of 3 year old seedlings, a baker's dozen of 1-2 year seedlings, and a couple air layers started now.

Fall color/berries:




Air layer attempts going:


Seedlings:

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I am not familiar with it. I clicked on your link assuming I was going to see a tree with compound leaves and I was going to warn you off

 

[RJG2]

I am not familiar with it. I clicked on your link assuming I was going to see a tree with compound leaves and I was going to warn you off

Yeah, took me awhile to figure out what my neighbor's tree even was.

Flowers are nice too (image from Google, apparently I haven't taken any).

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

It is one of those "botanical surprises". Sure confused me the first time I saw one at the Morton Arboretum.

 

[rodeolthr]

I have it growing in the landscape, and have rooted some cuttings for the purpose of bonsai.....but it is much slower growing than other mountain ash for me. Beyond that, everything about it is lovely

 

[RJG2]

I have it growing in the landscape, and have rooted some cuttings for the purpose of bonsai.....but it is much slower growing than other mountain ash for me. Beyond that, everything about it is lovely

Yay! I have a partner in crime!

I'm layering my neighbor's tree to start with some thickness and ensure it's flowering/fruiting age - but none of the branches are all that interesting - so I'll need to chop to a side branch. Will still take a long time, but hopefully slightly shorter than my other seedlings.

 

[Timbo]

There are several other Sorbus trees that don't have compound leaves. Sorbus intermedia, Sorbus mougeotii. They have serrated edges though, they aren't long compounded leaves like Rowan. I started all 3 of these from seed last year and they seem to grow pretty fast even for my short season. From the pictures and what I can tell from young seedlings, intermedia has smaller leaves.

 

[RJG2]

@Cedar Rose I noticed you're selling these. Have you seen any bonsai examples? Are you just selling them as landscape trees?

 

[penumbra]

I think it will do well in your climate. They do have a host of insect and disease problems, but no more than other members of the rose family. They do hate hot and humid conditions. I think it will do well in Maine.

 

[RJG2]

I think it will do well in your climate. They do have a host of insect and disease problems, but no more than other members of the rose family. They do hate hot and humid conditions. I think it will do well in Maine.

Thanks @penumbra - I think they'll do alright here too - my neighbor has a large landscape tree (pictured in this thread).

I have 25ish 1-3 year old seedlings going plus an air layer I separated end of the summer. They are doing well so far.

I just noticed Dylan was selling them, so didn't know if he had experience with them as bonsai - I haven't seen any examples personally.

 

[RJG2]

Root work and up-potting for my older seedlings.

Not sure I like the air pruning pots, some ugly knuckles and roots doubling back. Maybe I just used them for a year too long.