Figs in bonsai shows

[Jorgens86]

Hi. I know that ficus tree species is the most popular among bonsai entusiasts and so on, but why there is almost no trees at big bonsai exhebitions??

 

[rockm]

Hi. I know that ficus tree species is the most popular among bonsai entusiasts and so on, but why there is almost no trees at big bonsai exhebitions??

Which exhibitions? This is probably a regional thing where ficus grow better they’re in shows. They’re not traditional Japanese species so they’re not in the shows ther for the most part. Tropical areas like China and SE Asia they are common.

They’re also pretty common in shows here I the southern US.

In more temperate zones they’re not as easy to grow since they require overwintering indoors or Ina greenhouse

These were exhibited at a show in Richmond Virginia a few winters ago

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I have been to a few Iowa shows, not nearly as many as I should have gone to.
I posted one about the Iowa state fair and got some historical pics of a good one!
This was 2017 and the salicaria ficus is easily 3ft wide. Pretty impressive.
There were others but this one was a beast!

 

[ZombieNick]

I think there are plenty in exhibitions, perhaps just not in your area. Where they can be left outside year round, they grow very strongly and are easy to work with. If you live somewhere where you have to overwinter them, I'd imagine other species start to look more attractive. I have one in my collection now, but it isn't particularly exciting to me. If I had a lot of humidity and could achieve banyan style air roots, my opinion would probably change.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

You need to watch Nigel Saunders’ The Bonsai Zone on YouTube. He grows all kinds of fig bonsai and the shows he does videos of in Canada are full of fig bonsai. I guess greenhouses are a big business in Canada.

 

[leatherback]

I think part of the explanation is that there is a whole stream of people that claim Ficus can not be a bonsai, just because of the mass produced misformed plants sold in big box stores. If people would give them a bit mofr credit and try them, they might realize the enourmous potential Ficus holds for bonsai cultivation. I am pretty far north, and can quite easily grow these -with winter protection of course-. I cannot imagine how fast these will develop in southerly locations like the USA.

 

[Jorgens86]

I think part of the explanation is that there is a whole stream of people that claim Ficus can not be a bonsai, just because of the mass produced misformed plants sold in big box stores. If people would give them a bit mofr credit and try them, they might realize the enourmous potential Ficus holds for bonsai cultivation. I am pretty far north, and can quite easily grow these -with winter protection of course-. I cannot imagine how fast these will develop in southerly locations like the USA.

I agree. They are so mass produced that people think they are like flowers at window.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I think part of the explanation is that there is a whole stream of people that claim Ficus can not be a bonsai, just because of the mass produced misformed plants sold in big box stores. If people would give them a bit mofr credit and try them, they might realize the enourmous potential Ficus holds for bonsai cultivation. I am pretty far north, and can quite easily grow these -with winter protection of course-. I cannot imagine how fast these will develop in southerly locations like the USA.

I don’t buy that reasoning. Junipers and chinese elms are even more frequently produced in greater numbers in bonsai mills but you still see plenty of those in shows. In think it is just a local or regional practice. For example you will see a lot more larch in the northeast than in the south. Conversely we see a lot more bald cypress here in the southeast than you likely see in Germany or in the rest of the US. For some reason figs seem to be very popular in eastern Canada and also in the southern US.

 

[leatherback]

I don’t buy that reasoning

It's a free world. Go buy something else.
It is mine, and I stick with it.

 

[rockm]

I don’t know who is saying ficus can’t be made into world class bonsai. They must be very new to the game or don’t get out much. Ficus have been excellent bonsai and particularly Penjing species for a very very long time

There is an entire tropical species greenhouse at the National Bonsai and Penjing museum named for a Hawaii bonsai artist who worked on a large number of ficus. A few of “Papa” Kaneshiro’s Ficus are in the collection. They are LARGE bonsai. This one is about three feet across.

 

[leatherback]

I don’t know who is saying ficus can’t be made into world class bonsai. They must be very new to the game or don’t get out much. Ficus have been excellent bonsai and particularly Penjing species for a very very long time

There is an entire tropical species greenhouse at the National Bonsai and Penjing museum named for a Hawaii bonsai artist who worked on a large number of ficus. A few of “Papa” Kaneshiro’s Ficus are in the collection. They are LARGE bonsai. This one is about three feet across.

View attachment 606947

Agreed. Some great specimens in that greenhouse.
That being said.. This ficus I find a little boring, with this complete green helment and most of the structure gone. I can only guess that is is a bit overgrown and/or just pruned to shape and not to structure.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I just wanted to add that there are many parts of the world where you can't grow traditional Japanese bonsai species like many maples or white pines. Go see the Florida Bonsai Convention in Orlando and the vast majority of trees you will see will be tropicals or semi-tropicals - figs, bougainvillea, natal plum, buttonwood, Brazillian rain tree, etc.

(3:14 to just see an overview of what the vendors were selling)

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

This ficus showed well at our club’s annual show this year. It is enormous and a very good representation of a ficus tree. The Soji screen behind it is 48” x 48”, pot is maybe 28” wide.

I showed my ficus this year for the first time as well. Not nearly as big, but it is becoming a good representation of a wide canopy banyan look. Pot is 18.5” wide for scale.

 

[ZombieNick]

I took a trip to Vietnam earlier this year, and my mind was blown by the quality of some of the Ficus I saw there. Check out the ramification on these:







Me for scale:

 

[WNC Bonsai]

It's a free world. Go buy something else.
It is mine, and I stick with it.

It’s always so pleasant to see another one of your posts! I look forward to them. They give me a real chuckle.

 

[rutulus]

I took a trip to Vietnam earlier this year, and my mind was blown by the quality of some of the Ficus I saw there. Check out the ramification on these:

Thanks for sharing photos. These trees are jaw dropping