List of North American Native trees used for Bonsai

[marpag]

These photos were taken with my cell phone and are poor quality. I may get a better one from the Symposium and will post it if my friend shares it with me.

Thanks,
Marc

[lewisjk]

I just took a close look at your list of native species.

What a great job! I especially like the links to the USDA databases with the ranges and habitat, etc. information.

You have put a tremendous amount of effort into this. I hope that ABS members will take advantage and make use of it, and add to it when they start work on species that are not currently included.

Has anyone referred to this list in the Journal yet? Just announcing that it is there and the reference features it offers might get more people visiting the site, which is much too under used.

Well done!

[plantmanky]

Just a note to inform the membership and others that the List of Natives has was updated today with additional listings and photo's in the ABS reference image library.

If you have species that are not listed or not reported for a specific zone or have images for the library please contact me directly at plantmanky@yahoo.com with your information

ta ta for now,

[mboatman]

Cephalanthus occidentalis - Buttonbush. e Zones5-10

Note: That is buttonBUSH, NOT buttonwood. Leaves are slowly getting smaller. I hope it will bloom next year!

Buttonbush has been great so far for me. I collected mines along a lakeshore. Backbuds like crazy and it seems to know where i need new branches to grow out. So far, it has caused no setbacks and problems.

[gwharton]

Attached are a few photos of what I believe to be a wax currant that we collected last fall 2010. We found the tree/ bush at about the 6,000 ft. elevation on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. This particular tree was growing on a stump of an old tree that had been cut perhaps 30 or 40 years ago. I was attracted to the character of the branching and the base. I walked past the thing about a dozen times stopping to admire it before I decided to lift it from the ground.

It will never have the shape and character that I associate with classic pine, juniper or maple bonsai. However it looks suitable for a clump style that I have seen with flowering quince, spiked winter hazel and others. I have not seen a ribus bonsai, so I am treading unfamiliar ground. The tree in it present state is unworked except for a little clean up. Yes, a few of the branches are wired with aluminum. This was done to keep the branching upright to conserve bench space. It is potted in a (+/-) 14-inch mica pot with pumice soils.

It is growing rather strong at the present moment with fair extension of new growth. I may work on it next year though it is my habit to let collected material stabilize for at least two years before conducting a major session on the workbench. The trick will be to shorten the existing branching in a way that does not look contrived.

[Dwight]

How about redbud juniper ( J. pinocheotii or J. erythrocarpa ) ? Havn't seen them as bonsai but they are all over West and North Texas.

[plantmanky]

Attached are a few photos of what I believe to be a wax currant that we collected last fall 2010.

I have added wax currant to the list of native north american plants used for bonsai. At the moment it will be listed as "Ribes cereum" with links to the USDA Databases. I would like to see a close up of the leaf(and flower if you have one) to do some technical ID on your plant if you wouldn't mind. The currently accepted name (R. cereum) is officially "unresolved" by the botanists and may be changed in the future. I know there are a number of Ribes species in the Pacific Northwest which is why I'd like to do at least a cursory analysis of the leaf and flower. I would also like to know the approximate size of the leaf diameter and whole plant height which can be important indicators for the correct identification. I would also like to know your growing zone and general location to complete the listing. Thanks in advance!

[plantmanky]

How about redbud juniper ( J. pinocheotii or J. erythrocarpa ) ? Havn't seen them as bonsai but they are all over West and North Texas.

Thanks for the input! I have added Juniperus pinchotii (Pinchot's juniper) to the unreported section of north american plants used for bonsai. I should note that J. erythrocarpa is a synonym for J. pinchotii so it will not be added to the list. I've seen some pictures of this Juniper and it looks like it would make a very nice bonsai indeed. If you find that it is used in your area I'd love to hear about it and then we can move it to the reported section of the list and provide some links to it. We'd also like to see a picture of it as a bonsai that can be added to the ABS reference image library for others to see how it might be used.

[mboatman]

I have three established rock elms. All except one specimen were dolomite cliff dwellers. It took me some research to figure it out between slippery elm to rock elm. The difference is the twigs of slippery elm is well slippery underneath the bark. Rock elm is is not. I have had one of them(the bigger hollow one) since 2006. It has done outstanding until borer attack last year on the apex area which was promply removed and burned. It has recovered since mid last summer to now with this season turning out to be a" let it grow" year. Girthing up great. It comes highly recommended by me. Pics forthcoming of the three.

[plantmanky]

I have three established rock elms. All except one specimen were dolomite cliff dwellers. Girthing up great. It comes highly recommended by me. Pics forthcoming of the three.

Mitch,

Glad to hear someone is using Ulmus thomasii (Rock elm). Your the first to report using it. I'll add it to the reported section of the north american plants used for bonsai. I would love to see the pic's of your trees and if you can get a good close up of the leaves too. I will be very intrested in seeing the tree when you get it finished and into a bonsai container. ABS would love to have a nice picture of a finished tree to add to the ABS Reference image library to show others how it might be used as bonsai.

I might note here that Rock elm is considered Threatened in Ohio so you should limit collecting trees from your particular area. There are other locations where it grows where it is not threatened and better collecting areas.