Sea myrtle/groundsel yamadori

[Lou T]

Prepping this yamadori sea myrtle (Baccharis halimifolia)for collection in a year or so. Made a hard prune a couple months back and it has budded out in a good location. The stump is ant infested and features a substantial hollow as a result. Once out of the ground and after recovery the next step will be carving. The base is about 8 inches wide at the surface.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I had to hit the books, nice to see someone using a local native species. And it won't be bothered by salt spray. A good seaside species for bonsai. Aster family too, a group not often seen as bonsai, though some woody chrysanthemums make really cool blooming bonsai. Nice

 

[Lou T]

I had to hit the books, nice to see someone using a local native species. And it won't be bothered by salt spray. A good seaside species for bonsai. Aster family too, a group not often seen as bonsai, though some woody chrysanthemums make really cool blooming bonsai. Nice

Yeah I’m pretty excited about it. Has tons of character. See Zanthoxtlum clava-herculis. It’s another native here. Although it does have compound leaves, it has pretty cool spines on its trunk. I just cut one back hard and it’s back-budding nicely. Also, when you chew it’s stems, it numbs your mouth. The Native American tribes here used it to treat toothaches.

 

[Michael P]

Two cool natives that we have here in north central Texas also, good luck!

 

[Mike Hennigan]

I guess i’m wondering what future design you have in mind for this? Seems wider than it is tall. I guess I could see a sort of stumpy clump style if you can get it to bud around the trunk. I’d imagine you can find better specimens of this species?

 

[Lou T]

I guess i’m wondering what future design you have in mind for this? Seems wider than it is tall. I guess I could see a sort of stumpy clump style if you can get it to bud around the trunk. I’d imagine you can find better specimens of this species?

To be honest, I don’t know. The top of the tree was cracked and most of it had died off so I decided to chop it. The hollow is what drew me to this one in the first place. I imagine I will do some carving and create a “phoenix risen” affect if I only get that one shoot, as if a tree had died long ago in the forest and a sucker rose up and grew amongst its former skeleton. One thing I do know is that it will be ugly. But yes, these shrubs grow prolifically around here in the marsh and many feature nice basal flare. I just chose this one because I guess it spoke to me. I am also not one to follow a canon by any means and I am within my first year of doing this so take that for what it is.

 

[Mike Hennigan]

To be honest, I don’t know. The top of the tree was cracked and most of it had died off so I decided to chop it. The hollow is what drew me to this one in the first place. I imagine I will do some carving and create a “phoenix risen” affect if I only get that one shoot, as if a tree had died long ago in the forest and a sucker rose up and grew amongst its former skeleton. One thing I do know is that it will be ugly. But yes, these shrubs grow prolifically around here in the marsh and many feature nice basal flare. I just chose this one because I guess it spoke to me. I am also not one to follow a canon by any means and I am within my first year of doing this so take that for what it is.

I can respect that. I actually have a vision in my head of growing a clump style tree out of a very low cut stump like this. Just like you described a sort of death an rebirth kind of feel. I dig it.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Great bark on that specimen. I grew one last year and had mixed results. It grew really well and really fast. The shoots tended to go straight up from the upper surface of the branch. The shoots also stayed soft and delicate for a long time, so that I couldn't really wire them into a more horizontal position. A shame because the tree had a killer trunk with plenty character. Died for no apparent reason halfway through the summer. Good luck with yours.

 

[Lou T]

Great bark on that specimen. I grew one last year and had mixed results. It grew really well and really fast. The shoots tended to go straight up from the upper surface of the branch. The shoots also stayed soft and delicate for a long time, so that I couldn't really wire them into a more horizontal position. A shame because the tree had a killer trunk with plenty character. Died for no apparent reason halfway through the summer. Good luck with yours.

Thank you. I’ll be sure to post updates.

 

[JoeH]

been thinking about trying one myself. The seeding out everywhere makes me a little nervous tho. They are everywhere here in Polk county and kind of a nuisance.

 

[Lou T]

been thinking about trying one myself. The seeding out everywhere makes me a little nervous tho. They are everywhere here in Polk county and kind of a nuisance.

Aye but at least they are native. Up here in St. John’s we’ve got Chinese tallow and Brazilian pepper real bad. I’ve got some of those stages for collection too hah.

 

[JoeH]

Aye but at least they are native. Up here in St. John’s we’ve got Chinese tallow and Brazilian pepper real bad. I’ve got some of those stages for collection too hah.

I just don't want them all over my yard. More round up usage then. Tallow's not bad here BP is terrible tho. I'd never want to try one with all that goop in it

 

[Lou T]

I just don't want them all over my yard. More round up usage then. Tallow's not bad here BP is terrible tho. I'd never want to try one with all that goop in it

The tallow actually forms a nice nebari fairly quickly where I see them on the threshold of the marsh. Do you mess around with any natives down there?

 

[JoeH]

The tallow actually forms a nice nebari fairly quickly where I see them on the threshold of the marsh. Do you mess around with any natives down there?

Sure do, Bald Cypress, oaks, wax myrtle, FL Privet, Yellow Pine, trying a firebush this year.

 

[Veebs]

Prepping this yamadori sea myrtle (Baccharis halimifolia)for collection in a year or so. Made a hard prune a couple months back and it has budded out in a good location. The stump is ant infested and features a substantial hollow as a result. Once out of the ground and after recovery the next step will be carving. The base is about 8 inches wide at the surface.

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How is this working out? There’s a lot around here and I’m curious. A lot of it I need to cut down. It looks like a weed but it seems to lignify

 

[CapeCodBonsai]

I had groundsel show up randomly in a few pots a couple of seasons ago. Because it’s a native, salt tolerant . . . etc. I decided to let them grow. They seem to be fairly rapid growers.
They have barked-up quickly and they back bud easily.Photos taken: 04-22-25

 

[Michael P]

The female plants have very attractive silvery seed heads in the fall. If collecting, I would mack those individuals for digging in late winter.