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

[Anthony]

Folks,

talking to Marky Scott [ Mark is it ? ] and our different climates, I wondered, how
many had explored trees/shrubs for say 50 miles in all ways from your home base.

Can you list 5 plants from your area?

Why am I asking ------------- just wondering about local climates and plant adaptation.

example - Maples [ China ] mild climate, sun does not burn up the leaves, air temperature
is mild, and winter induces gentle dormancy.

Desert climate - maples --------- problems all around.

Local plants - adapted to the area - qualities for Bonsai and fewer soil problems etc.

If you have the time to chat, please do.
Thanks in Advance.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[sorce]

This may also be helpful...
http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/local-species-awareness-program.20231/

I like....

Elm..
Hackberry...
Amur Maple...introduced...
J. Crack..Eastern Red Cedar...
Buckthorn....invasive...

Sorce

 

[Anthony]

Thanks Sorce,

for the direction,

but I am more interested in - your local - species.
I want to see how much trouble they give for growing or keeping healthy. IMAGES ?

There are supposed to be thousands of trees world over suitable for Bonsai.
BUT obviously there are Kings / Queens / Princes /Princesses and then the commoners.

Example - J.B.pine / J.W.pine / Maple / Elm

For us the list just beginning ------maybe ---------- Fustic / Tamarind [ introduced the 1860's or so / Caribbean Pine / Guava types
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Starfox]

Wow, talk about timing Anthony!

I have spent the morning looking into exactly this and was even going to start a thread on it.
I have been looking at endemic species to Spain mainly and am finding it somewhat of a struggle.
The one endemic species that is seemingly a hit is Quercus cerriodes, I want one.

After that I'm really struggling, there is a list on wiki with lots of native flowers and a couple of possible trees/shrubs that I know little about or if they would be usable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Endemic_flora_of_Spain
I'm sure there are probably more than just that list but not being a native Spaniard I'm somewhat out of my element. If I was in Australia I'd kill this list.

Still, this is the Med and that covers a large area from North Africa to Southern Europe and eastwards and many of the trees here you will find all over as native to the mediterranean.

So I guess I have to widen my parameters to native Med plants and then it becomes much easier.

Just outside my door are Olives. Plenty of Olives.
Mastic trees, Pistacia Lentiscus.
Pines, mainly P. Pinea and P.Halepensis around me but I do know of other species in Spain too.
There are also what I think are Junipers outside but could be Cypress, to be honest I'm not flash with either of those species.

I'm sure there are many, many more.
There is also no shortage of plants from around the world that thrive here too.

Still I'm on a bit of a hunt now for native species here or to the med.



Just ducked outside and took a few snaps of the vacant blocks next to me, shame I can't dig any of it.

 

[BrianBay9]

I'm close enough to sorce to use his, but I'd add:

hornbeam
hophornbeam
thuja (white cedar)
tamarack (Larix)
hawthorn

 

[vaibatron]

Privet, crape myrtle, amur maple, hornbeam, azalea.

 

[Anthony]

Any images --- anyone, of those you grew as Bonsai ?

 

[Anthony]

@Starfox .

yes, that's you over on Ausbonsai - K is Tambrand.

Down here we figured that life would be easier soil mix wise if the trees were local.
We visit areas that might have possible victims. Looking at the trees, counting the branches for density
and leaves for size or density.
Also shrubby growth.

Locate seedlings and the fun begins. Love Research.

Ground growing has become second nature as well as roots on tile and the 6 branches.

Most respond in 1 to 3 years.

The way it is going probably 30 or so trees will be perfect for bonsai, from the forest / jungle zones.

Starting hitting strange behavior from the Northern part of the is [ our so called Mountains, 1000 m max ]
seedlings just not growing. Mostly stone type soil. The southern part of the island is clay type soils.
Seedlings from south, grow like weeds.
Even the weeds [ Sida Acuta charming flowers - woody sub shrub ] are giving problems.

BUT we did find this amazing shrub possibly tree, that has deep purple pea type flowers.
Worth the effort, got 3 seeds to germinate, now the seedlings are giving problems.

However, the chance to create more ideas, wow!

Hope more chime in with images.
Thanks to Brian and Vaibatron for responding.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Nativewise, I have only started to work with Hackberry and Elm.
Here are a few examples: Hackberry and Elm.

 

[Saizan]

@Starfox was faster than me, so sorry if I repeat some species. Maybe some were cultivated centuries ago and gone wild, maybe were wild and became cultivated, who knows...

- Pines: aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) and Stone pine (Pinus pinea)
- Olives (Olea europaea): lots of cultivated ones, but in some places you can find some wild specimens.
- Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis): Very common in gardens and houses, but there's a lot in the mountains growing wild.
- Junipers: (Juniperus sabina and Juniperus oxycedrus, scale and needle )
- Quercus ilex, Q. faginea. Scarce as bonsai, more common making little mediterranean forest.

I have 4 of this species cultivated as pre-pre-bonsai, so I'll try to take some pictures...

 

[Bonsai Nut]

In southern California:

California juniper
Coast live oak
Manzanita
Torrey pine or Pinyon pine
California nutmeg

See this thread for some great photos of California native bonsai.

 

[ghues]

Vancouver Island (Pacific Northwest);
Mountain Hemlock, western Hemlock, Red Cedar, Yellow cedar (Alaskan Cedar), Shore Pine, vine maple.

 

[Cypress187]

English Oak
Scotts Pine
Silver Birch

 

[Paradox]

Pitch pine
Eastern Red Cedar - maybe
Beach plum - maybe

 

[Anthony]

Why the maybe Sandy ?
Need two more.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[M. Frary]

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

 

[Paradox]

Why the maybe Sandy ?
Need two more.
Good Day
Anthony

The "maybe" is because it is still unclear whether those 2 species will make good bonsai.
People are playing with ERC and I dont think any one has tried Beach Plum yet. Ive thought about collecting one but havent yet.

I cant think of any others that are native. The oaks around here wouldnt make good bonsai. I cant think of any other natives that would work.

 

[Anthony]

Sandy, I like your honesty.It is refreshing.
Thank you.
Anthony

 

[VAFisher]

If we're talking native then for central Virginia I can think of:

American Elm
Winged Elm
American Sweetgum
Virginia Pine
Hornbeam
Hackberry
Eastern Red Cedar - questionable
Red Maple - questionable although I like them a lot

Things like crape myrtle and azalea are not native. Unless you mean deciduous azalea.

 

[Grant Hamby]

In southern MO we have a handful that I really want to experiment with. I'm still so new that I don't have any experience worth counting on, but here are the ones I want to try:

American Persimmon (diospyros virginiana)
Black Gum (nyssa sylvatica)
Wild Plum (prunus americana)
Serviceberry (amelanchier)
and for some wild reason, I want to try
Sassafras (sassafras albidum) just because it so represents my home environment and it has beautiful fall color. I don't think it would make an attractive bonsai, but I still want to try it.