Not Ficus Retusa?

[Hermes33]

I got the following tree labeled a “13 year old Ficus Retusa” however I am quite sure it is not and could use confirmation before I request a refund. The leaves are not correct and the “aerial roots” to me appear to be just buried branches (poorly also).

 

[JackHammer]

It sounds like you are just not satisfied with the tree. It doesn't matter the variety if you are going to send it back.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I believe that, now, Retusa IS "Microcarpa"... And that looks a lot like a Microcarpa displaying "tiger bark" traits. (I could be wrong)


This..

It sounds like you are just not satisfied with the tree. It doesn't matter the variety if you are going to send it back.

Is far more important, however.

 

[Ply]

There has been lots of debate about the 'Retusa' label. If you search the forum you'll find plenty of topics about it. As far as I recall the consensus is that virtually all ficus bonsai being sold as Retusa are labeled wrong. They are instead Microcarpa, also known as tiger bark.

Whether it's 13 years old, probably not. If it is, it has been growing in very poor conditions for a very long time. A small cutting grown in good conditions that is fertilized well could reach that size within 3 years, easily.

 

[Michael P]

It probably is F. microcarpa, a.k.a. retusa. And those probably are real aerial roots. As for it being 13 years old, I agree with Ply. That said, it is a poor example of ficus bonsai of any age or species.

 

[Hermes33]

Ok, just wanted to be sure as I will need a reason for return aside from “not liking” it. Thank you all for input.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I'm confused...you are having buyers remorse...and trying to lay blame with the seller?

Curious...was this an online purchase...or an in store first hand purchase?

Good luck on finding an excuse to explain returning. I just...find it, impossible to have a change of heart and wish to blame another.

 

[leatherback]

Ok, just wanted to be sure as I will need a reason for return aside from “not liking” it. Thank you all for input.

Guess you do not have a reason other than that.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I will state this...the only date/age I give my trees...would be time in training. I cringe to put an age to any of the material I own other than one I can be certain of.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I will state this...the only date/age I give my trees...would be time in training. I cringe to put an age to any of the material I own other than one I can be certain of.

I can be certain of quite a few of my projects.... but I grow seeds and take cuttings every year!

 

[Cadillactaste]

I can be certain of quite a few of my projects.... but I grow seeds and take cuttings every year!

Then you know...as time in training began at the date you started them. I've seen so many puffed/inflated ages placed on material. I tend to just stay away from that sort of thing. Where as your situation...is completely different.

 

[HorseloverFat]

I'm confused...you are having buyers remorse...and trying to lay blame with the seller?

Curious...was this an online purchase...or an in store first hand purchase?

Good luck on finding an excuse to explain returning. I just...find it, impossible to have a change of heart and wish to blame another.

Then you know...as time in training began at the date you started them. I've seen so many puffed/inflated ages placed on material. I tend to just stay away from that sort of thing. Where as your situation...is completely different.

Agreed!!

What drives me (..the last block or so..) NUTS is when people take a cutting of a 15 year-old tree,.. and call that the same age.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Buying by age is a bad idea. Especially for this type of super common mass produced examples.
I don’t think it’s a bad tree. I like the lower portion and wound chop.
I Would expect to pay 40$ or so.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Agreed!!

What drives me (..the last block or so..) NUTS is when people take a cutting of a 15 year-old tree,.. and call that the same age.

Agreed!!! My Ginkgo...is time in training. As it is a cutting...I don't go by the age of the tree it came from.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Personally...I see potential in the material the poster is intending to take back to the store. Summer when the tree is outside and pushing a lot of growth. I would repot it at another angle. Maybe see if I could relocate the aerial root...if not...not overly worry. And build on it. That cascading lower branch...I would leave the tip on and let it grow without pruning...to thicken and make a good first branch. It's a ficus...easily done in a short time. Red line I would remove and keep the one beside it as a leader.

 

[Maiden69]

Here is my 2 cents... this is not a retusa, but a tiger bark, the bark on the retusa is smoother and slightly grayish, not brownish like the tiger bark. Also, the leaves are slightly smaller and rounder.

The tree is decent, if you paid around $40 as stated above. Is it 13 year old... tough to say. Maybe if it was kept dehydrated and into a bonsai pot since it was just a string. Tiger bark grows stupid fast with the right amount of water and the smallest quantity of fertilizer.

Aerial roots look like aerial roots, I don't get where you think they look like buried branches. Aerial roots thicken rapidly as soon as they dig into the soil. Below is a sample of my tiger bark aerial root development.

Aerial root on the front-left was but a string APR 21, below on AUG 21 already 1/4" of the trunk size.



Here on NOV 22



Strings on AUG 21



almost 1/3 the thickness of the trunk on NOV 22

 

[HorseloverFat]

Here is my 2 cents... this is not a retusa, but a tiger bark, the bark on the retusa is smoother and slightly grayish, not brownish like the tiger bark. Also, the leaves are slightly smaller and rounder.

The tree is decent, if you paid around $40 as stated above. Is it 13 year old... tough to say. Maybe if it was kept dehydrated and into a bonsai pot since it was just a string. Tiger bark grows stupid fast with the right amount of water and the smallest quantity of fertilizer.

Aerial roots look like aerial roots, I don't get where you think they look like buried branches. Aerial roots thicken rapidly as soon as they dig into the soil. Below is a sample of my tiger bark aerial root development.

Aerial root on the front-left was but a string APR 21, below on AUG 21 already 1/4" of the trunk size.

View attachment 478773

Here on NOV 22
View attachment 478775


Strings on AUG 21

View attachment 478774

almost 1/3 the thickness of the trunk on NOV 22
View attachment 478772

"Tiger bark" is not an actual cultivar.... But a TRAIT of Retusa, which is NOW called Microcarpa... (I believe )

You see tiger bark with round leaves, too.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I went to a good source reference...Jerry Meislik for his thoughts on this topic

[Who all must admit...Is the Ficus guy.]

Verses my trying to offer an opinion. I will say, it is commonly mislabeled...to the point I don't lay blame to ones who are mislabeling them. It is just so commonly done.

Screenshots taken from Ficus Study Group found on Facebook.






I've attached the link that is found in this above screenshot...below.

Ficus retusa in Java

Ficus retusa from Java (correctly labelled for once !) from Naturalis. However 95% of the Ficus retusa herbarium collections on the Nauralis website are actually Ficus microcarpa. The Ficus retu…

borneoficus.info

 

[Maiden69]

"Tiger bark" is not an actual cultivar.... But a TRAIT of Retusa, which is NOW called Microcarpa... (I believe )

You see tiger bark with round leaves, too.

As far as I can remember F.Microcarpa has always been named the same. Known by many other names depending on the location . Chinese banyan, Malayan banyan, Indian laurel, curtain fig, or gajumaru.

From the Wiki... which can not always be trusted to be factual, the name was catalogued in 1782 by Carl Linnaeus the Younger. Tiger bark cultivar was discovered in 1970 according to this write up by one of our members @Chuah and it is very distinct from the microcarpa. Now retusa has been an elusive sucker, as even in the early centuries retusa was labeled as microcarpa and truncata .

As a bonus, there is no such a thing as a cultivar Ficus Ginseng...

 

[HorseloverFat]

As far as I can remember F.Microcarpa has always been named the same. Known by many other names depending on the location . Chinese banyan, Malayan banyan, Indian laurel, curtain fig, or gajumaru.

From the Wiki... which can not always be trusted to be factual, the name was catalogued in 1782 by Carl Linnaeus the Younger. Tiger bark cultivar was discovered in 1970 according to this write up by one of our members @Chuah and it is very distinct from the microcarpa. Now retusa has been an elusive sucker, as even in the early centuries retusa was labeled as microcarpa and truncata .

As a bonus, there is no such a thing as a cultivar Ficus Ginseng...

This is an interesting read, as well
.. AFTER Darlene's post above, quoting Jerry.

How Did Tiger Bark, Kinmen, Golden Gate Ficus Get Their Names?

Ficus microcarpa, commonly called the Chinese Banyan or Indian Laurel, is the most used ficus species for bonsai. Although it has many cultivars and varieties, Tiger Bark, aka Golden Gate, Ki…

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