Oak tree in nursery

[BrianBay9]

As it turns out, ilex and suber apparently hybridize. Could be that.

Detection of hybrids in nature: application to oaks (Quercus suber and Q. ilex) - Heredity

Powerful and accurate detection of first-generation (F1) hybrids and backcrosses in nature is needed to achieve a better understanding of the function and dynamics of introgression. To document the frequency of ongoing interspecific gene exchange between two Mediterranean evergreen oaks, the...

www.nature.com

 

[MrWunderful]

Base looks like it has reverse taper. Take it and maybe get some acorns, and get that dremel ready because that is going to need a lot of carving.

 

[BobbyLane]

Base looks like it has reverse taper. Take it and maybe get some acorns, and get that dremel ready because that is going to need a lot of carving.

definitely needs further inspection.

 

[luvinthemountains]

As it turns out, ilex and suber apparently hybridize. Could be that.

Well, there ya go!

 

[maroun.c]

you will also get varied responses in the replies too where tastes vary, climates, locations, experience etc
tbh the first thing you do with a nursery tree is look at the base and see if its worth the hassle, thats not been mentioned here... for me thats another standard procedure. it looks like it has good flare though, but i always ask the nursery man if i can have a dig around and usually they are ok with this. Ryan neil did a video about choosing nursery material and what to look for. there is nothing conflicting about the information in that video.

Indeed a great video. I'll dig a bit more around the base next time I'm there. Having the front on the F in this pic and the L at the left does provide a nice flare as tree shifts a bit to the right at the base.

 

[maroun.c]

Base looks like it has reverse taper. Take it and maybe get some acorns, and get that dremel ready because that is going to need a lot of carving.

Base looks like it has reverse taper. Take it and maybe get some acorns, and get that dremel ready because that is going to need a lot of carving.

Tree has very week taper from base to end, maybe a tiny bit of reverse taper at level of that branch... yet my interest in the tree is more about the huge base and nice bark. Its clear that tree will need to be chopped low maybe at level of the reverse taper or even lower. That cut will automatically require a great deal of carving as u say to deal with the chop and guess it would be easy to deal with the reverse taper. Will of course check other fronts that hide it but guess the base will be more of a deciding factor. Once tree is chopped ill be able to move it and take.decebt pics of it and also cleanup all the dead foliage so will have a better understanding of the issues in it.

 

[maroun.c]

As exciting as it is to have a hybrid if that's really the case or to get to know the exact species of the tree ( not an evidence here as very few trees are even labeled)
My question is, is there any of the two trees which is more suited for bonsai, any differences i should learn between the two to better manage it? Being the same type of tree I'd assume a very close "behavior"?

 

[BrianBay9]

As exciting as it is to have a hybrid if that's really the case or to get to know the exact species of the tree ( not an evidence here as very few trees are even labeled)
My question is, is there any of the two trees which is more suited for bonsai, any differences i should learn between the two to better manage it? Being the same type of tree I'd assume a very close "behavior"?

suber is commonly used for bonsai here in California. They make great trees and do well in a Mediterranean climate.

 

[AJL]

Judging by the bark and the leaves my money is still on this being Q.suber

 

[BobbyLane]

of course it is a Suber, the bark is a dead giveaway, not even worth debating. you see loads of great examples coming out of Italy and Spain in particular.

i mean, one quick look on kaizen will give you a full guide on the species

Cork Bark Oak Yamadori Evergreen Bonsai Material - RM2124

Superb yamadori cork bark oak bonsai material Attractive curvy trunk with superb old bark Recently wired for shape and developing fast 22

www.kaizenbonsai.com

simple. information is everywhere if one applies ones self

 

[maroun.c]

Far from being a tree ID expert!
I confirmed the tree yesterday and they agreed to hold in nursery till feb. I'll use their tree saw to chop the tree in coming couple days and well repot it there before i pick it up.
I will chop at 50-60 cm high at this stage to have space for any die back and will go back and shorten/carve as I style.
As far as ID, nursery owner confirmed these came from.soaun and he showed me pics of the tags they came with and this one had an ilex tag. Again could have been mislabelled.
Tree has different bark on the other side, not sure if this is causing the confusion or why bark is different. Will definitely take closeup shots of the bark and leaves as we chop it. I'll also try to save the top.
Thanks for all the help and suggestions and will definitely reach out for front choice and styling options.

 

[maroun.c]

BTW what would be a logical price for this tree?