Oak species suitable for Bonsai

[WNC Bonsai]

One thing to be aware of when collecting wild oaks is they tend to produce long tap roots. One practice the Japanese growers use is to dig out seedlings and cut back the tap roots early on. Apparently as long as lateral roots have developed the plant can take it. I have seen Mrs Ohno do this on BonsaiQ and also on the As channel. Down here in NC we have shingle oaks which I have considered trying. They are much like a willow oak although the leaves get larger as they age, starting out quite small so I suspect they may reduce well.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I love oaks and have an assortment of them. All of my white oaks are youngish, I'm guessing 5-6 years, half inch trunks, and only leaves on top. Will they back bud if you chop the trunk? I've bought them and all my oaks at local plant sales and nurseries that sell native plants.

I have very little experience with severe trunk chopping. When I have pruned back, I have always made sure there were leaf buds remaining on the trunk or branch. I've never had more than a seedling or two, so not much of a sample size. My current oak, a bur oak, is about 10 years old and is still pencil size, a mere stick in a pot.

One thing to be aware of when collecting wild oaks is they tend to produce long tap roots. One practice the Japanese growers use is to dig out seedlings and cut back the tap roots early on. Apparently as long as lateral roots have developed the plant can take it. I have seen Mrs Ohno do this on BonsaiQ and also on the As channel. Down here in NC we have shingle oaks which I have considered trying. They are much like a willow oak although the leaves get larger as they age, starting out quite small so I suspect they may reduce well.

Central midwest, Kentucky, Tenn, and all of Appalachian Mtns are a hot spot for oak species diversity. There are dozens of species in the general area. There is one I would like to see, it might be interesting for bonsai, the cherry bark oak -Quercus pagoda Raf.
Its bark is rather smooth but interesting.

I am working with a single burr oak seedling, because burr oak has the most rugged, coarse, and fissured bark of all the locally winter hardy oaks. White oak and swamp white oak come in as 2nd and 3rd most rugged in the Chicago - Milwaukee area. Bark is the feature that attracts me to oak, so its my main selection criteria.

If you want fine branches, you should look at elms or hornbeam.

 

[Attmos]

My current oak, a bur oak, is about 10 years old and is still pencil size, a mere stick in a pot.

Why so small at ten years old?

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Why so small at ten years old?

It has only been grown in a pot, never loose in the ground. Some years no fertilizer was applied. I have heavy clay soil, if it roots in the ground only way to move it would be with a chain saw. Digging is something I don't do without explosives.

Growing trees in pots always slows development. Ground growing is the way to go if you want rapid trunk growth. But the risk with field growing is the unconstrained root system. You have to enjoy digging to retrieve your projects.

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Just an update on my side. I bought a bunch of bare rooted English White Oak, seedlings this spring. The tap roots where insane, some like 10" long. I conservatively cut them and will be chasing them back for many years I'm sure. I planted them in the ground and they are thriving. We'll see what the winter brings, but I'm happy with their potential so far. Sometimes one just has to accept that there's not always a native species suitable.

 

[Attmos]

Just an update on my side. I bought a bunch of bare rooted English White Oak, seedlings this spring. The tap roots where insane, some like 10" long. I conservatively cut them and will be chasing them back for many years I'm sure. I planted them in the ground and they are thriving. We'll see what the winter brings, but I'm happy with their potential so far. Sometimes one just has to accept that there's not always a native species suitable.

Only a few good ones in my area too, Oh well. Good luck with the oaks, please share updates as the time passes.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Just an update on my side. I bought a bunch of bare rooted English White Oak, seedlings this spring. The tap roots where insane, some like 10" long. I conservatively cut them and will be chasing them back for many years I'm sure. I planted them in the ground and they are thriving. We'll see what the winter brings, but I'm happy with their potential so far. Sometimes one just has to accept that there's not always a native species suitable.

Just remembered that Nigel Saunders grows oak bonsai and he’s in Ontario. You might check out his videos on oaks and maybe arrange a visit to his garden, he seems to enjoy visitors.

 

[The Warm Canuck]

Just remembered that Nigel Saunders grows oak bonsai and he’s in Ontario. You might check out his videos on oaks and maybe arrange a visit to his garden, he seems to enjoy visitors.

I've met Nigel, nice guy. I haven't seen many Oak trees in his collection, I see a small royal oak and Holm Oak, he's growing in Bonsai pots, so it may take a few decades, but that's Nigel's style, and to each their own. Nigel seems to try and grow anything, if it's suitable for Bonsai or not (again good on him, if he enjoys it), he also uses a green house, which I don't. Moving forward, I'm more interested in species that are suitable for Bonsai and are more or less hardy, in my climate. I haven't been in the hobby long, but I do feel I've wasted a lot of time on working on material that wasn't suitable for my climate, or Bonsai.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

I've met Nigel, nice guy. I haven't seen many Oak trees in his collection, I see a small royal oak and Holm Oak, he's growing in Bonsai pots, so it may take a few decades, but that's Nigel's style, and to each their own. Nigel seems to try and grow anything, if it's suitable for Bonsai or not (again good on him, if he enjoys it), he also uses a green house, which I don't. Moving forward, I'm more interested in species that are suitable for Bonsai and are more or less hardy, in my climate. I haven't been in the hobby long, but I do feel I've wasted a lot of time on working on material that wasn't suitable for my climate, or Bonsai.

Yes, I used to watch his videos a lot when he was actually growing bonsai but not so anymore. His focus now seems to be if it is a plant and will grow in a pot he’ll start one (or many).

 

[Gabler]

I am working with a single burr oak seedling, because burr oak has the most rugged, coarse, and fissured bark of all the locally winter hardy oaks. White oak and swamp white oak come in as 2nd and 3rd most rugged in the Chicago - Milwaukee area. Bark is the feature that attracts me to oak, so its my main selection criteria.

Some of mine started forming corky bark the same season they germinated. I'm pretty sure I posted pictures in my Acorn to Oak Tree Contest thread.

I also have some Quercus lobata x macrocarpa seedlings that are very similar, but they have smaller leaves, and they aren't quite as eager to bark up at year two.

 

[rockm]

FWIW. There are “stand-in” species for oaks that aren’t as hard to come by.

Boxwood in particular offers similar appearance as oak but are easier to find and grow (larger examples in particular).

And the best way to start an oak bonsai is NOT through sapling or seedlings. Those are decades and decades away from actually looking anywhere near what your after. Start large cut down. Oaks rebud from hard pruning and large wounds pretty easily. That why they’re oaks. They can withstand all kinds of damage. Anything that lives 500 years gets its fair share of smashed bashed cut up broken down etc. they rebuild and continue.