curious any palm bonsai

[Kent E]

I've been tooling around for a few months and haven't seen one bonsai palm, anyone ever do it? If not, why not?

 

[BigBill]

The only palm "bonsai" and I use that term loosley that I have seen is the Sago Palm. Which to me looks like a pineapple in a pot. google "sago palm bonsai" and you will get a ton of hits to see pics

 

[BigBill]

http://www.bonsaigardener.org/growing-palm-bonsai.html

Here is a link to an artical on palm bonsai for your reading enjoyment

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I'm not sure if a palm bonsai is possible. When I say that, I am not trying to stop someone from trying, but I have never seen one and I assume there is a reason To start with, palms only have one bud, and if you trim or damage the bud you will kill the whole tree. Next, if you trim the palm fronds, you actually accelerate growth instead of restrain it. I think people can plant palms in small pots and "call" them bonsai, but I'm not sure they would meet the classic definition. Certainly I have never seen a "true" palm bonsai like a coconut, king, queen, date, or fan palm.

By the way Sago Palms are actually not palms at all. Rather, they are Cycads - a very primitive tree that is more closely related to a tree fern than a true palm. You can stunt their growth by restraining roots - so if you want a smallish Sago in a pot it doesn't sound that difficult to maintain. I agree however it look kinda like a spiky fern (I have about 8 sago palms of various sizes in my landscaping and like the way they look).

 

[Rick Moquin]

I believe our own Will has a palm forest, a forest using a different tree to make it look like a plam grove. As far as the Sago, some folks have them but a bonsai it is not.

 

[Anonymous User]

Rick,

Leave it to you to bring up that old piece, lol. I do not have an updated picture, but the old one is below. The idea I had was to use a different species to represent a palm tree as palm trees just don't work for bonsai material for all the reasons listed above and more.

I made a single palm tree using the same species at last years show, but it sold almost as soon as I created it. I do have another single palm-like tree that I will post as well as an update on the grove as soon as I can take a couple pics.

Our club show is this weekend, William Valavanis is coming in for demos and workshops, and I am busier than I want to be.


Will

 

[Rick Moquin]

Will,

It was different and at the same time refreshing. I hope you still have it and continue to work it. As years go buy the trunks will gain in girth and I just hope the tops will continue to work for U. Bonsai is about having fun!!

 

[Anonymous User]

Yes, I am still woking on it, I'll post some pics soon.

Thanks,


Will

 

[Kent E]

Will's landscape was along the lines that I was thinking.

You broke the mold on that... very kewl. I'm surprised that more people in the south don't do likewise.

 

[Kent E]

blue pot in a nice touch, you need some coconuts.

 

[Anonymous User]

Thanks!


Here is a single I did before, it has since been sold. Blue pot and white sand straight from the beaches of Florida. The top wired apex was removed, leaving a palm-like shape.

I think that palms can be and should be represented in bonsai, just without trying to use them as material.


Will

 

[BigBill]

Hey Will,

What kind of tree is that? There are trees in my area of kntucky that look like that but the leaves are rather large and i didnt know how well they would be suited for bonsai. I need to figure out what they are called.

 

[Anonymous User]

Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos). They are often planted as street trees due to their tolerance of pollution and the fact that they are not messy. The leaves are so small that little if any raking in the fall is necessary.

They grow quickly and you can chop them back to nothing.



Will

 

[Kent E]

I think a blue pot flaring in the opposite direction (to the table) would work best in this application because it would simulate the island feel.