Cedar Elms
- Thread starter irene_b
- Start date
Ken Duncan
Yamadori
I know this post is almost a year old but I just came across it.
Here is a Cedar Elm forest that was planted about 15 yrs ago in a work shop with Bill Valavanis. The main tree was bought mail order from "The Bonsai Farm" in Texas in 1977 for $2.95 the other four trees were grown from cuttings from that tree. They were all grown in nursery containers for many years getting ready to plant into a forest.
The movement of first planting was from right to left and then a few years later in another work shop with bill we took the whole thing apart and turned the main tree around, it had a better front, thus movement from left to right.
Sorry for the first pic it was scanned from an old photo.
#1 about 15 years ago.....#2 a few years later.....#3 12/2007, before a trim...#4 10/2006, Pot 26" wide, main tree 34" tall.
Ken
Here is a Cedar Elm forest that was planted about 15 yrs ago in a work shop with Bill Valavanis. The main tree was bought mail order from "The Bonsai Farm" in Texas in 1977 for $2.95 the other four trees were grown from cuttings from that tree. They were all grown in nursery containers for many years getting ready to plant into a forest.
The movement of first planting was from right to left and then a few years later in another work shop with bill we took the whole thing apart and turned the main tree around, it had a better front, thus movement from left to right.
Sorry for the first pic it was scanned from an old photo.
#1 about 15 years ago.....#2 a few years later.....#3 12/2007, before a trim...#4 10/2006, Pot 26" wide, main tree 34" tall.
Ken
Attachments
Last edited:
Ross
Shohin
Ken,
Do your Cedar Elms have "wings" on the branches? I dug up a couple elms this weekend and they have corky ridges on the branches. I had heard them referred to as Texas Cedar Elms. How can you distinguish between Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia) and Winged Elm (Ulmus alata)? Thanks if you or anyone can help.
Ross
Do your Cedar Elms have "wings" on the branches? I dug up a couple elms this weekend and they have corky ridges on the branches. I had heard them referred to as Texas Cedar Elms. How can you distinguish between Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia) and Winged Elm (Ulmus alata)? Thanks if you or anyone can help.
Ross
Ken Duncan
Yamadori
Ross,
I have both Ulmus Crassifolia and Ulmus Alata and they both get wings with only with unchecked growth.
If they are pruned to slow growth they tend not to get wings.
The best way to tell the difference is to rub the underside of the leaves, Crassifolia has rough leaves like a cat"s tongue, that is where the name comes from.
Ken
I have both Ulmus Crassifolia and Ulmus Alata and they both get wings with only with unchecked growth.
If they are pruned to slow growth they tend not to get wings.
The best way to tell the difference is to rub the underside of the leaves, Crassifolia has rough leaves like a cat"s tongue, that is where the name comes from.
Ken
no justice in pictures
I have had the pleasure of watching this planting develop over the years. Believe me when I tell you the pictures just do not give it the justice it deserves. Technically this forest is superb! Trunk placement and spacing, ramification, placement in the pot...everything works very well. From a more artistic aspect...I have taken many walks through this illusion. Great work Ken!!!
John
I have had the pleasure of watching this planting develop over the years. Believe me when I tell you the pictures just do not give it the justice it deserves. Technically this forest is superb! Trunk placement and spacing, ramification, placement in the pot...everything works very well. From a more artistic aspect...I have taken many walks through this illusion. Great work Ken!!!
John
Ken Duncan
Yamadori
John, Thank You for your kind words.
Ken
Ken
Ross
Shohin
Ken Duncan
Yamadori
Ross, nice trees, they do look like cedar elms to me. When the leaves come out you will be able to tell for sure by rubbing the leaves cedar elms are real rough. The leaves on winged elms tend to smoother and more oblong in shape and the cedar elm leaves are a little more rounded. The bark seems to be about the same although the cedar elm maybe a little more flaky.
Good luck with these guys they have been very strong growers for me.
Ken
Good luck with these guys they have been very strong growers for me.
Ken
Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
I can tell you that the Cedar Elm is one of the finest native trees found for bonsai. It is sad that they are not available commercially (as far as I know) and available only to those who live where they can be collected or grown from seed. I think this tree has world class potential. Personally I would like to see what people are doing with them.
I've had a few of them over the years and they are very good trees to use for bonsai as far as the small leaves and very rough textured bark are concerned, but to have a world class tree you would also have to have a great nebari, something most of these trees just don't have. In fact most of them just jut right up out of the soil giving the impression that they were just stuck in the ground by someone. Doing an air layer or a root graft is kind of useless because the bark is so rough and old looking on mature trees, that the graft or new roots from an air layer would look way out of place. I guess if you started with a real young tree whose bark hasn't matured yet, they might work together and come out in the long run. Now if you are lucky to find a mature one with a good nebari, then you may have yourself a winner.
art-rodriguez
Mame
here's a couple of pics of my cedar elm which i acquired from retired collector vito megna who i believe collected it from the texas hill country.
i have it growing in a plastic mortar tub for now for further branch refinement.
preivously i had it growing in the ground for nebari & root growing out.
it measures 5" at the soil line and is 40" tall.
Attachments
