Aglaia Odorata

[mfantus]

Hi All

I have had a "Perfume Tree" in training for about a year and it is doing nothing to impress me. It flowers freely and seems happy but it is not growing taller or developing a thicker trunk. Even the specimens I see photos of do not look like it trains well.

I am always inclined to blame myself when a tree isn't turning into something spectacular, and ask myself what I can do differently. I think I am going to repot in a gallon pot with some potting soil (essentially take it out of training) and let it go wild to see what will happen.

Any thoughts on this or other suggestions?

Thank you,

Michael

[ED TROUT]

Hi Michael,

This is a new one on me ! But when I googled it, it said it was in the mahogany family, and I saw several photos of fairly good sized trunks. The mahoganys we have here in South Florida are also seldom used for bonsai, because they are such slow growers in containers, and their compound leaf is difficult to "train" into bonsai form. But that should not deter you on this one. Sounds like it gives off a great frangrance, and the flowers look neat !


Ed Trout

[bonsaihunk]

Michael.
I have no experience with this material. Looking at its growth habit on the internet photos it seems that it forms a small shrub in nature.
I think your desire may be held in check by the natural growth pattern of this material to be shrubby.
You need to think in terms of a bonsai design that makes use of a slimmer trunk, smaller tree unless you can find an old landscape specimen. A literati or bunjin style may work for this type of material.
Another approach is to grow a grove style.
Keep us posted.
Jerry

[dbrock]

It sounds like an interesting tree, but it also sounds like a tree I would call a more feminin tree. What I mean by that is being a more delicate soft design. Most guys think of bonsai as a thicker bold grounded tree. This doesn't sound like that. I have Malphigia Cherry that I bought and when it got to me, I thought what a joke. This thin little twig of a tree with three trunk design. My first thought was, "it will grow". I read one of Robert Stevens' books which descrided trees as appearing more masculine and ones that appear feminin. This tree sounds feminin. Thin structure with longer lines and flowers. Sounds very delicate. Think of it as feminin. Most people's idea of a beautiful woman is not a short, fat stocky creature. Long flowing lines with delicate well placed branches and flowers. Delicate pot with eligant lines will enhance the design. This may not be the type of tree you invisioned, but think about it. My Malphigia Cherry is actually one of my prettier trees after you stop and really look at it. Hope this helps. Post a picture so we can all see it.
Dale