Can I style a columnar habit garden thuja/eastern white cedar like a niwaki tree with “pads”?

[Empty Mountain]

I recently purchased a home with this tree in the backyard but I’m not a fan of the shape and habit of this cultivar. Do you think it would be possible to style it in a more traditional Japanese nowaki/bonsai form? Would its vertical growth habit make it too difficult to achieve the look I want?

Thanks!

 

[Kievnstavick]

I would say that it is possible, although my mental image of the tree looks a little odd due to its age and potential long branches. Growth habit can be managed as we play with a lot of apical and basal growth dominate species.

I can image that there is a lot of "dead" space on the interior as growth closer to the trunk was dropped in favor of the growing tips.

I think if you give the tree an initial trimming, it can help decide if you want to style this tree, or just chop it down/restart it.

 

[rockm]

Species isn’t really that friendly to such treatment. They’re not as easy as say a juniper. For your research look for collected white cedar. It’s arborvitae and has been used as a bonsai subject for quite a long time in the eastern U.S. using old trees collected from the wild

Such ordered pads require work. On such a large tree it could take up all of your time keeping it in shape.

Two Splendid Cedar Bonsai | Bonsai Bark