Tulip Tree questions

[Silentrunning]

While walking on the back of my property I came across this Tulip Tree. I looked at the base and it has a nice taper but splits into two about 2 feet from the base. My first question is, do tulip trees make acceptable bonsai? Are there any real negatives to these trees? I also wondered what the best time of year is to dig one up if it is worth collecting? If it’s not worth harvesting I will just let it grow since it is out in a field and can’t hurt anything.

 

[Dav4]

Some folks here are attempting to keep them in bonsai culture, but I personally wouldn't bother, as the leaves are just too big and the growth too coarse.

 

[Potawatomi13]

This comment from Ryan Neil concerning comment from his Master.

"Some professionals pride themselves on material selection, but as Mr. Kimura used to teach me, “there is no bad piece of material, there are simply less talented artists.”

Go for it.

 

[plant_dr]

Nigel Saunders would do it?!

 

[just.wing.it]

I'm trying one...
It almost died during my move to a new house recently...but I think it's gonna pull through.
Right now it's just a tall whip.

From my short time messing with it, I think leaf reduction is no problem.
Mine is screwed to a tile, doing Ebihara Method to try to get a fat wide base.
Plan to let it grow for a while only doing root work yearly, until I get a lower trunk worth looking at, then I'll chop low and see how it takes that.

So far I'm impressed with how it handles severe root reduction.

If you decide to "waste your time" with a Liriodendron, or any so-called "unsuitable for bonsai" species, be prepared to hear those 2 things from most people about it...which is part of the fun, for me... especially because everything I see so far with the tree is positive...I hope to have a tree to prove people wrong some day.

Here is my thread on it...
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/tulip-poplar.30791/

 

[R3x]

As others said: the leaves are beautiful but HUUUUGE. There are 2 species: Liriodendron tulipifera and Liriodendron chinense. The former one has beautiful flowers (see first picture). I grow the latter one in the garden (cause I want Chinese stuff there) - it's quickly getting very tall. It would be very interesting tree if you could manage to CONSIDERABLY shrink the leaves.

 

[Silentrunning]

I'm trying one...
It almost died during my move to a new house recently...but I think it's gonna pull through.
Right now it's just a tall whip.

From my short time messing with it, I think leaf reduction is no problem.
Mine is screwed to a tile, doing Ebihara Method to try to get a fat wide base.
Plan to let it grow for a while only doing root work yearly, until I get a lower trunk worth looking at, then I'll chop low and see how it takes that.

So far I'm impressed with how it handles severe root reduction.

If you decide to "waste your time" with a Liriodendron, or any so-called "unsuitable for bonsai" species, be prepared to hear those 2 things from most people about it...which is part of the fun, for me... especially because everything I see so far with the tree is positive...I hope to have a tree to prove people wrong some day.

Here is my thread on it...
https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/tulip-poplar.30791/

Thanks JWI. I have decided that I will waste some time and collect it. What time of the year would be the best for harvesting it? Meanwhile I will chop down the weeds and mulch around it. This may help to keep me from getting covered with ticks and chiggers.

 

[just.wing.it]

Thanks JWI. I have decided that I will waste some time and collect it. What time of the year would be the best for harvesting it? Meanwhile I will chop down the weeds and mulch around it. This may help to keep me from getting covered with ticks and chiggers.

I yanked mine out of the ground in late February of 17, before buds were opened.

I wouldn't touch it after the leaves are out.

 

[VAFisher]

I yanked a seedling out of my flower bed this spring, cut the tap root, and stuck it in a pond basket. So count me in as someone who's wasting some time on one. Right now it's about 8" tall and has leaves that are salad plate sized. I'll probably set the basket on the ground, let the roots escape the bottom and let it grow wild. I did that to a winged elm last year and the trunk thickened a lot just in one growing season.

 

[Dav4]

Tulip poplars are ridiculously vigorous... that's their beauty as stand alone landscape specimens and their downfall as bonsai material, imo.

 

[just.wing.it]

I yanked a seedling out of my flower bed this spring, cut the tap root, and stuck it in a pond basket. So count me in as someone who's wasting some time on one. Right now it's about 8" tall and has leaves that are salad plate sized. I'll probably set the basket on the ground, let the roots escape the bottom and let it grow wild. I did that to a winged elm last year and the trunk thickened a lot just in one growing season.

Mine has super small leaves again this year...
Must be due to the major root reduction...
Same as last year, and even though the leaves are about 1 square inch, the tree produced an incredible amount of roots last year....which made me glad that I repotted it again this year, cuz I was considering leaving it.

 

[Lazylightningny]

Leaves and flowers are huge. I'd leave it in the landscape.

 

[just.wing.it]

Leaves and flowers are huge. I'd leave it in the landscape.

Huuge!

 

[rockm]

This comment from Ryan Neil concerning comment from his Master.

"Some professionals pride themselves on material selection, but as Mr. Kimura used to teach me, “there is no bad piece of material, there are simply less talented artists.”

Go for it.

Bull. That slides by whether the material is worth the time and considerable effort. This tree is a prime example of a lot of work for not much, if any, return. Leaves the size of dinner plates are matched by enormous flowers (Which don't reduce AT ALL). Long gangly growth and iffy backbudding. Not worth the time.

 

[coh]

It's always possible that there is a way to get tulip poplar (or any of the supposedly ungainly species) to "behave" in bonsai culture, and produce smaller leaves and internodes, but no one has figured it out yet. That doesn't mean it's impossible. So if someone wants to experiment with it, good for them. I have one in my growing bed that I'm planning to chop next spring and eventually dig up if it survives the process. The last one got attacked by bark beetles after I chopped and the 3" trunk was killed back to the ground. If this one doesn't work I'm not going to try another.

That said, I'm pretty sure Ryan was referring to species that are known to be amenable to bonsai techniques. Even so, I think it's an overstatement to claim there are "no bad pieces of material" but that's a debate for another time.

 

[Dav4]

It's always possible that there is a way to get tulip poplar (or any of the supposedly ungainly species) to "behave" in bonsai culture, and produce smaller leaves and internodes, but no one has figured it out yet. That doesn't mean it's impossible. So if someone wants to experiment with it, good for them. I have one in my growing bed that I'm planning to chop next spring and eventually dig up if it survives the process. The last one got attacked by bark beetles after I chopped and the 3" trunk was killed back to the ground. If this one doesn't work I'm not going to try another.

That said, I'm pretty sure Ryan was referring to species that are known to be amenable to bonsai techniques. Even so, I think it's an overstatement to claim there are "no bad pieces of material" but that's a debate for another time.

I think some guy named Dario said that, too, a while back.... and you can bet your backside it was debated to death here without either side of the argument conceding any ground... I was shocked!

 

[Melospiza]

This comment from Ryan Neil concerning comment from his Master.

"Some professionals pride themselves on material selection, but as Mr. Kimura used to teach me, “there is no bad piece of material, there are simply less talented artists.”

Go for it.

This seems needlessly haughty. Everyone has a finite amount of time and resources, and would probably prefer to stick to species that give a reasonable reward for the effort spent on them.

 

[jeanluc83]

I was in the "anything can be a bonsai" camp but I'm starting to realize some trees really are just a waste of time. EWP and red maple fall in this category. Yes there are a couple nice examples of each but for the most part you are met with frustration. I only have so much time I can spend on bonsai. I would rather work with species that I know can become nice trees.

I think some guy named Dario said that, too, a while back....

Sometimes I miss that guy. A throw down between him and @sorce would be interesting.

 

[Dav4]

I was in the "anything can be a bonsai" camp but I'm starting to realize some trees really are just a waste of time. EWP and red maple fall in this category. Yes there are a couple nice examples of each but for the most part you are met with frustration. I only have so much time I can spend on bonsai. I would rather work with species that I know can become nice trees.



Sometimes I miss that guy. A throw down between him and @sorce would be interesting.

...and it would never end...

 

[sorce]

Lol! Poink's my boy!

Sorce