The Celtis (Hackberry) Scored Progression Contest

[Jetson1950]

Better late than never! Your softwood cuttings would be acceptable for year 1 entry to contest.

Great. I have another question. I did some quick research on Hackberry trees in San Saba County, Texas and two options came up. Sugar Hackberry (Celtis laevigata) and Netleaf Hackberry (Celtis reticulata). Doing some leaf and habitat research and seeing what Google Photo and Seek say, it looks like Netleaf Hackberry in my best option for what I have. However, I can’t discount a possible hybrid of the two different cultivars since they are both prominent in the area. Is it okay if I can’t isolate the exact cultivar?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Yeah, just make note of the two species you think it might be but lets pick the one you feel it most closely resembles for now.

 

[Jetson1950]

Yeah, just make note of the two species you think it might be but lets pick the one you feel it most closely resembles for now.

Sounds good. Right now it looks like Netleaf Hackberry (Celtis reticulata). Google photo and Seek both agreed on that one as well. I will go with that. As the leaves mature, I’ll keep checking for changes of confirmation keeping in mind it could be a cross.

Thanks….Im in!

Here are my cutting candidates. They need to grow a bit, but they are growing fast.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Sounds good. Right now it looks like Netleaf Hackberry (Celtis reticulata). Google photo and Seek both agreed on that one as well. I will go with that. As the leaves mature, I’ll keep checking for changes of confirmation keeping in mind it could be a cross.

Thanks….Im in!

Here are my cutting candidates. They need to grow a bit, but they are growing fast.

View attachment 607240

just start a thread documenting your progress starting the cuttings onward.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Hope everyone is doing well. First year categories will be as follows:

1. Propagation (How well you germinated/propagated your seed)
2. Health (How healthy your tree was/is)
3. Care (How well others judged your care of your tree)
4. Style/Form (Aesthetic judgement)

Each category will be judged on a scale of 1-10 For a total maximum point total of 40pts.

I will create a 1st year scoring thread with a template for others to fill in with their scores and post.

Please provide a final submission for each tree/planting by Dec 1st. Judging will go through Dec 31. I will post final scores early January.

Categories will change slightly for future years. Would love to see more contestants!

Also updated the list of contestants/judges.

Thanks!

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Good evening. I posted a new thread for your year 1 submissions. Looking forward to seeing how well everyone has made out! I have pinned the thread to the top of the contest page for easy viewing. The submission posting instructions are there. Thanks!

 

[Gabler]

My trees are mostly in just two large containers. Do you want to see two hundred posts containing the same two photos?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Pick a few stand out seedlings I guess? Or post one photo of the lot. We'll figure it out.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

A reminder to please get all your submissions in for year 1 in the submission thread! We currently have a handful but I know others should have some seedlings to submit!!

Some additional Celtis photos from Amy Liang's "Living Art of Bonsai" to hopefully inspire Celtis adoration!

 

[Ozz80]

Since I missed the germination season last year and none of my cuttings worked, I plan to attend the contest next year. After three months of cold stratification in perlite, today I planted several Tourneforttii and Australis seeds in peat. (According to an article I read, this method is supposed to give the best result, I wonder if it will really work)

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Since I missed the germination season last year and none of my cuttings worked, I plan to attend the contest next year. After three months of cold stratification in perlite, today I planted several Tourneforttii and Australis seeds in peat. (According to an article I read, this method is supposed to give the best result, I wonder if it will really work)

View attachment 622590View attachment 622591View attachment 622592

Awesome!!! Just remember to create your own thread to track progress!

 

[Orion_metalhead]

A reminder that the cut off for submission for this 1st year will end tonight!

Naturally this means that year two for the submitted trees will begin 12/8/25 and year one for new starts/seeds/cuttings(softwood or 1st year growth only) will commence for this date as well.

I will have the scoring instructions posted tonight as well. The scoring will be anonymous until final year 1 results are revealed.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

In case people missed it, the scoring instructions have been posted in the 1st post of the submission thread: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/celtis-contest-year-1-submissions.70430/

EDIT: 12/7/2025 - YEAR 1 JUDGING INSTRUCTIONS:

Thank you to all those who have made an attempt to provide a submission for the contest. It is time to score the year 1 submission. Below is a template form.

Please copy the form and message me with the form filled out. Scoring will be from 0-10 with 0 being the lowest score and 10 being the highest score. You do not have to provide any details on your scoring, just a numeric value. All voting should be based on the submissions entered in this thread along with the associated specific tree-specific thread.

Judges: Any participant who has made an attempt to start trees for this contest, anyone who has trees in this contest, and anyone on Bonsai Nut who has more than 500 posts or has been a user since prior to the contest start date can vote. Please judge your own trees objectively comparative to the other submissions as well.

There are 43 entries from 9 participants for the 2025 Year 1 voting. THE VOTING WILL CLOSE ON 1/4/2026 at Midnight EST.

THE TEMPLATE (Copy as paste into a private message to me with your votes. DO NOT POST IT IN THIS THREAD. I REPEAT DO NOT POST IT IN THIS THREAD. If you are having an issue copying and pasting, direct message me and I can send you the template. You can then hit "reply", fill out, and return.:

OWNER	TREE SPECIES	TREE #	GERMINATION / PROPAGATION SUCCESS	SEEDLING GROWTH / HEALTH	INITIAL MOVEMENT / INTEREST	OVERALL
0-10	0-10	0-10	0-10
Hack Yeah!	Celtis Occidentalis	1
Hack Yeah!	Celtis Occidentalis	2
Bluone23	Celtis Australis	1
Orion_Metalhead	Celtis Africana	1
Orion_Metalhead	Celtis Africana	2
Orion_Metalhead	Celtis Africana	3
Orion_Metalhead	Celtis Africana	4
Orion_Metalhead	Celtis Africana	5
Orion_Metalhead	Celtis Australis	1
Orion_Metalhead	Celtis Australis	2
Orion_Metalhead	Celtis Australis	3
Orion_Metalhead	Celtis Australis	4
Orion_Metalhead	Celtis Occidentalis	1
Orion_Metalhead	Celtis Occidentalis	2
Orion_Metalhead	Celtis Occidentalis	3
Gabler	Celtis Laevigata	1
Gabler	Celtis Occidentalis	1
JesseKane	Celtis Reticulata	2
JesseKane	Celtis Reticulata	4
JesseKane	Celtis Reticulata	11
JesseKane	Celtis Reticulata	16
Dbonsaiw	Celtis Occidentalis	1
Dbonsaiw	Celtis Occidentalis	2
Dbonsaiw	Celtis Occidentalis	3
Kievnstavick	Celtis Julianae	1
Kievnstavick	Celtis Julianae	2
Kievnstavick	Celtis Julianae	3
Kievnstavick	Celtis Occidentalis	1
Kievnstavick	Celtis Occidentalis	2
Kievnstavick	Celtis Occidentalis	3
Kievnstavick	Celtis Occidentalis	4
Kievnstavick	Celtis Koraiensis	1
Kievnstavick	Celtis Koraiensis	2
Kievnstavick	Celtis Koraiensis	3
Kievnstavick	Celtis Koraiensis	4
Kievnstavick	Celtis Koraiensis	5
Hsaintandre	Celtis Sinensis	1
Hsaintandre	Celtis Sinensis	2
Hsaintandre	Celtis Sinensis	3
Hsaintandre	Celtis Sinensis	4
Hsaintandre	Celtis Sinensis	5
Hsaintandre	Celtis Sinensis	6
Minkes	Celtis Occidentalis	1