Pistacia lentiscus

2 new pistacias that Marija and I have collected in February 2010.





More photos on our blog: http://www.animabonsai.com/2010/06/two-new-pistacias/

Mastic tree is Mediterranean species, and it is rare in bonsai world.
It is growing pretty quickly. Here is example of 2 years of development:

After collecting in 2008.


Spring 2010.


More photos on blog: http://www.animabonsai.com/2010/05/pistacia/

Marija and Andrija,
These tree look really nice. I love the fissured bark and gnarled deadwood appearance. Marija yours has developed very well for only 2 years. I also think the pot accents the hues of the leaves quite well. Great work and good luck.

Todd

DreadyKGB wrote:Marija and Andrija,
These tree look really nice. I love the fissured bark and gnarled deadwood appearance. Marija yours has developed very well for only 2 years. I also think the pot accents the hues of the leaves quite well. Great work and good luck.

Todd

Thanks Todd.
Pistacia's leaves get reddish colour in winter, and when vegetation starts crown becomes green again.

Marija,
Do the underside of the leaves and maybe the new stems have a reddish color as well? Even while the topside of the leaves is a glossy green?

Todd

DreadyKGB wrote:Marija,
Do the underside of the leaves and maybe the new stems have a reddish color as well? Even while the topside of the leaves is a glossy green?

Todd

Stems an upper side of leave are reddish, not underside.

Dear Marija,
This pistacia is the mastic tree, isn't it?
It is very similar and in the same genus with this shrub which has a creeping habit, but can also be found as a small tree


It has a very pleasant essence and in my country is called "schinos". It is very common.
It makes long expanding roots which take very special forms.
So, do you believe this plant is suitable as bonsai material?

Thank you!

Yes, it looks like Pistacia lentiscus, but fruits colour is much lighter, maybe it is some Greece variety.
In my opinion Pistacia is one of best trees for bonsai, but you have to find very old specimen character of course!

In fact fruits when ripe are dark red.


Thank you very much for responding!

Those two are same species. These are fruits and flowers from Picatacia from here.

Details of tree.
Pistacia Lentiscus
Style: Slanting
Owner: Twanny Agius (Bonsai Culture Group-Malta)
Height: 40 cm

Hi Andrija
Pistaccia (Deru in Maltese) is rare as a bonsai tree but only in northern European countries. In the Mediterranean basin such as Malta, Sicily and Southern Italy, it is one of the favourite species. Hope you like the picture of one such pisctaccia.

Cosmos

Hi Nellie
I think that your tree is a schinus terebintifolia (false pepper tree).

By the way the tree I showed was grown from a small sapling and is only 12 years old. We live on a very small island and we do not find good character yamadori like the ones you showed. Yours are truly awesome and have already been 'sculptured by the biting nails of mother nature'. Wish you luck and keep us posted.

Cosmos

Marija Hajdic wrote:Mastic tree is Mediterranean species, and it is rare in bonsai world.
It is growing pretty quickly. Here is example of 2 years of development:

After collecting in 2008.


Spring 2010.


More photos on blog: http://www.animabonsai.com/2010/05/pistacia/

WOW!!!
That is a truly beautiful balanced and ancient looking tree, with amazing movement and deadwood !!!! And created in such a short time as well !!!! I realy believe that in just a few more years, this future masterpiece will compete with the best in Europe !!!
I would kill to be able to go out and collect something like that here in Holland, but we are not so lucky here in the Yamadori compartment !!!
Well don indeed, and keep us posted !!!!
Cheers,
Hans van Meer.

Hi I would be grateful if you answer the following 3 questions.

1. What mix do you use on collecting pisctaccia from the wild.
2. Do you cover with plastic bag until new buds begin to appera?
3. And what time of the year do you collect?

Thanks beforehand for answering my questions.

Cosmos

cosmos wrote:1. What mix do you use on collecting pisctaccia from the wild.

85% Baked loam / 15% Peat moss

cosmos wrote:2. Do you cover with plastic bag until new buds begin to appera?

No

cosmos wrote:3. And what time of the year do you collect?

January is OK in our USDA zone.

cosmos wrote:Hi Nellie
I think that your tree is a schinus terebintifolia (false pepper tree).

By the way the tree I showed was grown from a small sapling and is only 12 years old. We live on a very small island and we do not find good character yamadori ... ...

Thank you for the information, Cosmos!
Members in this Forum are always so eager to respond and help! You see, you already have your answers from Andrija, just as I had mine from Marija before you.
Where exactly is this small island you live on?

I live in Malta, at the heart of the Mediterranean sea.

Cosmos

Thanks Andrija for your answers.

Cosmos

cosmos wrote:
Pistaccia (Deru in Maltese) is rare as a bonsai tree but only in northern European countries. In the Mediterranean basin such as Malta, Sicily and Southern Italy, it is one of the favourite species. Hope you like the picture of one such pisctaccia.

Cosmos

This is completely different character than our Pistacia, but I always love to see mediterranean trees as bonsai. I understand that you are limited, because your country is small island.
Many years (10?!) ago I was in contact with someone from Malta, I can't remember the name. At that time I trained Aleppo pine as bonsai and he sow the picture. Those pines are also rare in bonsai culture, and he was surprised to see one...

Hi Marija
I think that that person is me. If I remember well you had to go and organise a meeting to start a bonsai club or something. I do not think however that it was 10 years ago. Since then we have learnt somehow to grow aleppo pine as bonsai using the small juvenile needles; also we have started growing Casuarina which if treated well gives good results and has resemblance to pines.

Regards
Cosmos

Here is Pistacia from first post and two new materials.

Fantastic material. I envy you guys, you have picking sites!!

Keep us posted on their journey pl.
Thanks
Cosmos

Great trees full of vigour. Last one impressed me so much. Is the highest central trunk alive? I cant see it well from this picture.

Have a nice time,
Mirek

Yes.