Help please - List 5 trees native to your area [ say 50 miles ] usable for Bonsai

[RKatzin]

I'm a little further south in the Pacific Northwest, too far for the Sitka spruce. I do have a Sitka alder, but they are not native here.
Locally there is Douglas fir, lots and lots of Dougie's along with white, and noble fir. Also Red Alder, Oregon Ash, the Vine Maple, Madrone and Manzanita, Ponderosa's and Sugar Pine. Pacific Dogwood and Oregon Crab Apple. There's a wild Hazelnut that has fairly large leaves, but I have one in a pot. We have a variety of oaks. Canyon Live Oak and White Oak, Red Oak are the most useful.
Lots of small shrubs too including one that looks like Buxus called, you guessed it, Oregon Box.

 

[milehigh_7]

The weeping crab apple in the guys yard down the street.

Pretty sure it will be the guys down the street weeping once you collect it.

 

[Potawatomi13]

So just to clarify, Western Red Cedar is a Thuja, like white cedar? Not a juniper, like Eastern Red Cedar? And none of them are related to Cedrus (true cedar)? Common names often have me soooo confused.....

Correct. Not true(European)cedar.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Ponderosa Pine
Coast Pine
Lodgepole Pine
Douglas Fir
Oregon White Oak
Vine Maple

 

[Anthony]

My next question would have been, using a native do you find life easier or getting the same
problems [ if any ] as with the imports.

Here's one for the group --------- Fukien tea as a hedge material, gives no problem in the ground
once it drains well. Only grows when it should and thus gets pruned, and easily has a rest from
Christmas to say February.

Whereas in a pot, drainage problems, itchy fingers to repot, and no rest observed.
Hence, death.

As we discover more and more locals, and leave behind the imports [ easier on the nerves ]
Bonsai becomes relaxation.

Trinidad is lucky, nearness to the South American mainland has given us a very large variety
of trees and shrubs, plus our pronounced dry zones, with adapted plants, and tests are 3 ton 5
yearly for x years.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Wilson]

My next question would have been, using a native do you find life easier or getting the same
problems [ if any ] as with the imports.

Here's one for the group --------- Fukien tea as a hedge material, gives no problem in the ground
once it drains well. Only grows when it should and thus gets pruned, and easily has a rest from
Christmas to say February.

Whereas in a pot, drainage problems, itchy fingers to repot, and no rest observed.
Hence, death.

As we discover more and more locals, and leave behind the imports [ easier on the nerves ]
Bonsai becomes relaxation.

Trinidad is lucky, nearness to the South American mainland has given us a very large variety
of trees and shrubs, plus our pronounced dry zones, with adapted plants, and tests are 3 ton 5
yearly for x years.
Good Day
Anthony

I remember you mentioning lagerstroemia indica growing quite well year round. I was hoping to give some cuttings a place inside for a little test. I know in the past they were used as year round plantings. Thanks my friend!

 

[BillsBayou]

Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum)
Water elm (Planera aquatica)
Winged elm (Ulmus alata)
Swamp maple (Acer rubrum)
American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)

 

[Anthony]

@Wilson ,

please remember to factor in -

[1] We have shorter days as Christmas comes.

[2] We do drop to 68 and less so 66 deg.F for 8 to 10 hours at least from Christmas
until March / April.

So they have a period of rest.

[3] They like to drop leaves after spring, and the look can be a pain.

[4] The oldest shrub here is originally from Florence, Italy 1986

Test on say 5 cuttings, they are fast to thicken, so don't worry about
training spindles.
Good Growing.
Anthony

 

[PaulH]

Western Pacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia)

I'd love to find a nice Pacific Yew. Unfortunately the only places they grow around me are off-limits for collecting and the trees are all phone pole straight.

 

[Zaratrusta]

The native species, rarely used, that I recommend are:

• Alder (Alnus Glutinosa) - It is a deciduous species with a leaf with nice shape and although large it reduces very well the size. I think it is a species that isn't demanding in its cultivation, is very strong and only needs to be very attentive to watering.Easy to propagate through seed, air-layer and easy to collect.
• Cork oak (Querqus suber)- The bark is lovely and the small leaf size makes it an excellent candidate for making bonsai

Other species may be:
Ash tree (Fraxinus angustifolia), Yew (Taxus Baccata), Acer campestre, Querqus Robur.

 

[M. Frary]

For me its:
Tamarack
Jack pine
Siberian elm and American elm
Hawthorn
Hops and American hornbeam

Also:
White spruce.
Blue spruce.
Frasier for.
Eastern white cedar (for some,not me)
Not native but now grows all over: Scots pine.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Chionanthus virginicus - American fringe tree. Picked up two September 2016, a male and a female. Like many members of the olive family, the sexes are separate for this species. I don't think they are native to my area but are found in southern Illinois.

For plants growing in landscape leaves are big, too large, but I see a range of leaf sizes on the two, I think leaf reduction to less than 10% of normal should be easy.

Branch habit is coarse, and straight, but not impossibly coarse, probably better for larger than smaller styles. Seems to back bud on older wood fairly easily. A good trait.

Flowering seems to be on current year's growth, near the base where it just started in spring. Seems at points to also bloom on older growth, the previous year's and 2 years old growth too. A good trait. Blooming is after leaves are out, about the same time as Satsuki azalea, late May, so late frosts should not be a problem.

First winter, simply set nursery pots on ground, on shady side of the barn, outside, not inside. Left them out with only shade and a little wind protection for winter. Zone 5b, or 6a, we had -17F (about -27 C) at least twice, so at least in 5 gallon nursery pots they are quite hardy. I will provide protection once they are in smaller bonsai pots.

I have not chopped back yet, both are still in nursery pots, I'll start separate threads when I do. I want to thicken trunks more before starting work.

So all in all, a USA native that may be worth experimenting with.

 

[Waltron]

any of the 8 differnt elms I've noticed to date, including 2 seemingly different wild growing chinese, and something I think might be a "rock" elm.
fagus grandifolia as well as any of the 10-15 different oaks I've seen, bass wood, in the grove or clump style.
silver, sugar and norway maple, sycamore, and I've recently found one old tree in my woods that I have yet to identify, but my guess is its some type of small leaf sycamore, with rough bark.
I've counted over 16 slightly different wild apple in one area, and 3 different pears in the same lot. they all seem to work well as bonsai. They have really spurted my new interest in identifying fungal, bacterial, and viral growths and symptoms in the field.

I really cant recommend this book enough for this subject. unique info, with photos evidence. It will really make you take a second look and possibly open up a closed mind on certain species, and even certain aspects of cultivation.

https://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Nativ...1500044070&sr=8-2&keywords=bonsai+book,+busch

 

[GGB]

@Waltron dunno how I missed that book, I'm always looking for native trees as bonsai publications. And while I'm here...

- Pitch pine
-American elm
-Red mulberry
- American larch
- White spruce

 

[CasAH]

any of the 8 differnt elms I've noticed to date, including 2 seemingly different wild growing chinese, and something I think might be a "rock" elm.
fagus grandifolia as well as any of the 10-15 different oaks I've seen, bass wood, in the grove or clump style.
silver, sugar and norway maple, sycamore, and I've recently found one old tree in my woods that I have yet to identify, but my guess is its some type of small leaf sycamore, with rough bark.
I've counted over 16 slightly different wild apple in one area, and 3 different pears in the same lot. they all seem to work well as bonsai. They have really spurted my new interest in identifying fungal, bacterial, and viral growths and symptoms in the field.

I really cant recommend this book enough for this subject. unique info, with photos evidence. It will really make you take a second look and possibly open up a closed mind on certain species, and even certain aspects of cultivation.

https://www.amazon.com/Bonsai-Native-Trees-Shrubs-Werner/dp/0715305379/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500044070&sr=8-2&keywords=bonsai+book,+busch

In Illinois rock elm is ulumus thomasii, and is a state endangered or threatened species. Nice bark and large leaves where I have seen it. It does have a nice branch structure. I think the leaves could reduce well as I usually see it on shade dry slopes. It seems to not like wetter areas like American elm and slippery elm.

 

[Waltron]

has anyone ever heard of the "dinosaur pine" ? haha my buddy just bought a house and the lady he bought it from was a bit of tree person . apparently, there is a species of what I would call fir, known commonly as the dinosaur pine, that was long thought to be extinct known through fossil records, but "they" discovered some living in the early 90's I guess. he has 4 or 5 of them planted in his yard that the lady acquired sometime ago. again, it looks to me like its some type of fir. I can get more info and photos if anyone cares. I've not had much luck with fir, and I wont be digging any of these up, but found it interesting. from what I recall, and ive barely even googled it, it was more of a southern tree, but does seem to be growing happily in southern Michigan.

 

[GGB]

wollemia

..probably

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

NZ trees

 

[KiwiPlantGuy]

Sorry, that last post wasn't my best work.

5 trees native to New Zealand -

Pinus radiata ( Monterey pine)

Podocarpus totara

Metrosideros excelsa ( Northern Rata, NZ Christmas tree - frost tender )

Metrosideros umbellata - Southern Rata (frost tender under minus 5deg Celsius)

Agathis australis (NZ Kauri - can live well over 1000 years, although frost tender until over 3-5 years old.

I struggle to understand your zone system for climate just you struggle to understand metric, Celsius, and the accent. So to help you guys out, where I live, temperature goes between 20-110F ( I guess as -5 to 40C). Rarely snows ( maybe once every 3-5 years), hot dry summers with about 600mm rainfall per year ( say 25 inches?).
Hope that helps Anthony and others with an idea of what grows where I live. Although can almost grow anything in this temperate climate ( no tropicals tho).
Charles

 

[Starfox]

NZ trees