Community tree survey

[liltrees]

Good day BNutters!

An open question for the community: which species/cultivars do you wish were more readily available (or more affordable)?

 

[JudyB]

Crabapples, dogwood, cherry, japanese beech, stewartia... I'm all for more flowering material.

 

[DeepSouth]

Crabapples, dogwood, cherry, japanese beech, stewartia... I'm all for more flowering material.

I second this.

Will also add ginkgo to the mix. While ginkgo pre-bonsai are fairly available, finding well-developed trees in the US is very rare.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Pinus sylvestris, pinus nigra, kishu juniper, rigida juniper, gold varieties of chinensis, japanese red pine, potentilla.
I don't like maples and I don't like JBP. So 90% of what most bonsai places have to offer, is not for me.

Finding good prebonsai pines that aren't JBP is very difficult here. Especially the European natives. Potentilla has a lot of potential, but they need to be old. Kishu juniper is making its way, but it's mostly cuttings or mislabeled chinensis wildtype. Rigida is scarce all over the world. JRP is wonderful but people prefer JBP because they're easier to kill?
Someone in my area has an ornamental juniper, yellow as mustard but compact like blaauw. Would make an awesome tree if you'd ask me. But they ones I got were lacking the puffy foliage so I assume they're some sabina hybrid and not chinensis.

 

[rockm]

Ezo spruce. Stewartia. Persimmon (any variety Asian or North American). Cedar elm. The older the better

 

[Canada Bonsai]

which species/cultivars do you wish were more readily available (or more affordable)?

Japanese Beech - difficult to propagate

Flowering Apricots - we're getting there, but we're still a few years way from them being 'readily available'

Japanese Cherries - considering how common they are in garden centers, I don't know why they aren't more easy to access in a form suitable for bonsai

Styrax - I have yet to find a strain with leaves that is really worth propagating at scale

Wisteria - same situation as Japanese Cherries

 

[liltrees]

Japanese Cherries - considering how common they are in garden centers, I don't know why they aren't more easy to access in a form suitable for bonsai

I was surprised by this as well. My local garden centers have massive cherry selections for relatively cheap, but I would feel bad chopping any of them. Maybe I could use one as a parent tree

 

[liltrees]

Flowering Apricots - we're getting there, but we're still a few years way from them being 'readily available'

Ultimately this is what got me into propagation. Its my favorite tree but finding mume in general was a daunting task and collecting specific cultivars has been painfully slow.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Japanese Cherries - considering how common they are in garden centers, I don't know why they aren't more easy to access in a form suitable for bonsai

Pseudomonas syringae is pretty common throughout Europe and the US. Most Japanese cherries get it, and don't last long after they do.

 

[liltrees]

Crabapples, dogwood, cherry, japanese beech, stewartia... I'm all for more flowering material.

Particularly in the pre-bonsai stage! Finding any of these with substantial girth is tough.

 

[Canada Bonsai]

Pseudomonas syringae is pretty common throughout Europe and the US. Most Japanese cherries get it, and don't last long after they do.

Can you please clarify your statement? Based on that you said, Japanese Cherries would be extinct in North America and Europe. Based on my eyes, there are certain regions and communities where there is one in almost every yard, often very old specimen.

This reminds me of the famous Walter Pall statement: "'Deshojo' invariably is attacked by a vicious fungus. A Japanese master said that they don't grow much older than 25 years." A statement that is easily proven false by anybody with access to the internet or magazines, even in 2008.

 

[Nybonsai12]

Japanese Red Pine
Japanese White pine(ungrafted)
Scots Pine
Ezo Spruce
Needle Juniper(rigida)
Princess Persimmon

 

[DeepSouth]

Pseudomonas syringae is pretty common throughout Europe and the US. Most Japanese cherries get it, and don't last long after they do.

While true, I don't think that is the reason. P. syringae has a nearly global distribution, including East Asia. Japan has a serious issue with it and is a major pest for fruit crops there. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/DMPD/20056500336

P. syringae typically attacks trees that are either weak (often due to being in an area with conditions not suitable for the tree) or have lots of entry points from wounds. Cherries in particular are not long lived species. The only prunus species that is known to live to an old age is Prunus mume. I don't know why that is the case.

 

[shimbrypaku]

Korean hornbeam, starter material and development pre bonsai.

That are responsible priced.

Thanks

 

[PaulH]

Any of the following with nice developed trunks and roots. Silverberry, Beech, twisted pomegranate, Chinese quince, Seigen Japanese maple. Korean Hornbeam, Cryptomeria.

 

[Gabler]

Korean hornbeam, starter material and development pre bonsai.

That are responsible priced.

Thanks

Responsibly priced? What is irresponsible pricing? Selling at a loss?

 

[shimbrypaku]

30.00 + for a seedling,

But to be fair, I have tried to start Korean hornbeam from seed with no luck.

Thanks

 

[milehigh_7]

I would echo @PaulH on twisted pomegranate (I'm working on it!!!) I would add all the many great pome varieties Evergreen Gardenworks is the only place I know of to get the great flowering types. I'm also working on making Emperor more available. Escambron (Clerodendrum aculeatum) is a favorite of mine and pretty hard to find. There are also a ton of Celtis species that are great but you really only find about 3 that are commercially available. I would also agree with @rockm on cedar elm and persimmons I would add winged elm. My issue is that most of the traditional bonsai species can't be grown in my zone... I would love to get a nice Pinyon Pine (Pinus edulis)... So hard to dig however... and Alligator Juniper (Juniperus deppeana)

 

[WIlliam_Butler_Yeets]

I'd like to see more Ume around

 

[Kievnstavick]

A lot of the species I would like to see more prominently I have put an effort into growing myself from seed. My interest stems mostly around growing things. My goal is to develop quality young stock.

I'd love to see more developed Cercidiphyllum japonicum aka Katsura Tree. I fell in love with them after acquiring one at a club sale and seeing a more developed one in Vic and Eric's garden. I have been growing hundreds of them from seed each year for about 2 years now.

A somewhat uncommon species in my neck of the woods is Carpinus turczaninovii aka Korean Hornbeam. I am learning/working with John Eads who also sells the young stock of this species. I would like to see it more commonly that I currently do. A lot of examples in Japanese Bonsai of specimens. I remember this species the most by Michael's qoute "it just want to be a bonsai."

Pertaining mostly to my region, I would also like to see more Picea sitchensis aka Sitka Spruce. A local Spruce species that on paper sounds ideal for bonsai and the natural examples I have seen remind me of such. For the most prominent example, look up The Tree of Life in Oregon. I have one large batch from last year and a single survivor from 2 years ago.

Amelanchier alnifolia aka Serviceberry is another native species i would like to see more in the USA. Carmen has mentioned this species a couple of times. I am about one year in on this species from seed, but I have 2 saplings that are approximately 4 years old at this point and in training for root over rock over the last 2 years.