Rescuing this poor plant

[Pomegranateseedling]

I’m new to bonsai and I recently acquired a “statement plant”. I pulled this bonsai out of a dumpster at Lowe’s(with permission) and it was pretty much dead. The pot they put it in had no drain holes so it was sitting in about 2-3 inches of water. I pulled it out of the pot it was in and after about two weeks it looks way better. The company that did it doesn’t say what type of plant it is nor do they give any instructions for it. I need help figuring out how to shape it and to make it look better. There’s some moss growing around the base and on the stump where they chopped it. Is there any method to get rid of it and encourage it to not look like a shrub? I’ve included a few photos and would love to know where to go from here and what it is!

 

[shohin_branches]

Looks like a Serissa foetida.

 

[Shibui]

Pot without holes would probably indicate some sort of 'indoor' plant so Serissa is possible but those leaves and bark don't look quite right to me. Serissa is relatively easy to ID because of the distinctive stink when leaves are crushed.

Leaves out of focus in the photos and lower trunk is difficult to see because of shadow and light in that shot making guesses more difficult. Also nothing for scale to indicate how big the trunk and leaves are. If you can get some clear shots, maybe with a finger, hand or something universal like AA battery or the universal measuring scale - beer bottle - in the photos that might help.

I'm guessing that mention of Lowes means USA somewhere. Location can often give more clues to what is likely, possible or unlikely too.

I also cannot make out the 'moss' that's growing on the trunk. It may be algae, lichen or actual moss. Vinegar should kill any them if you want to get rid of it.

Making it look more tree like and less shrubby is a matter of selectively removing the mass of branches but I suspect it is a bit early for that yet. Your tree needs to recover from near death for maybe a year before subjecting it to further trauma so spend the rest of the Summer learning and considering possible styling options.

 

[shohin_branches]

There are a few different varieties of serissa. Many people are familiar with the variegata one. I've owned the one with the longer green leaves too.

 

[Pomegranateseedling]

It is a Fukien Tea Tree. I’m planning to remove the moss, and then just leaving it be for a while. It will become an indoor tree in a month as I’m moving.

 

[shohin_branches]

Serissa for comparison


Fukien tea (Carmona)