Fustic -Chlorophora tinctoria or Maclura tinctoria

Hello Folks,

been working with the fustic for a while now, and I believe I am finally beginning to understand the tree.
I am able to get the tree very branched and very leaf dense.
Should make an excellent addition to the Tropical branch of Bonsai.

I think it is also a member of the Ficus family hence the milk sap when the branches are trimmed.

Likes full sun, and goes semi to fully dormant around December until February.

Just collected some more from drains and fences. Will continue to show as I continue to experiment and learn.
Later.
Khaimraj

21st Feb 2014

November - branch extension - reached almost 4 feet [ 122 cm ] and cut down, became an airlayer, removed some days ago.
Later.
Khaimraj

As it is today. Very exciting, as this tree has a great deal of potential.
No real surface roots, but the trunk will rib, have to learn how to do that.
Removal of the air layer, brought on new leaves, tree was going dormant.
Second branch to be thickened, and seeing how much denser the twigs will become.
Enjoy.
Khaimraj

Front -


Side -

wow khai... great example of what a sacrifice branch can do in a relatively short period of time !

Hello to All,

to show the difference, first shot earlier this year, and then now.

How many branchlets can I get, and as the trunk thickens how many more wil form?
Laters.
Khaimraj


Earlier this year


Today -

khai - thats alot of new branching !

also wondering if you feel that the 1st branch may have thickened a bit toooo much ???

I was wondering the same and thinking that maybe it needs to be cut off at the very first branching to preserve a sense of natural proportion.  In fact, the picture from earlier in the year seemed to have good proportion and just needed some manipulation to get rid of the straight line quality of that branch. What's your plan Khai?

Morning Guys,

Happy New Year !!

Try it from these angles -

[1] The tree needs a trunk closer to 2" [ 5 cm ] as the height is around 10" [ 25. 5 cm ]  Trunk is presently around 1.25"
[ 3.2 cm ]

[2] It is the test plant.

There is a relationship of trunk diameter to branching [ branchlets ] that has to be explored. As well as the actual effect of what I call - fluting - on the trunk, but I suspect I have to cross at least 10 years for that mature feature to start to begin.
Tree is just 8 years old.

Thanks for responding.
Please feel free to keep asking.
Laters.
Khai......

Should kind of look like this -

that virtual helps to see where you wanna go, but wont the branch in question also continue to swell ?
(though not at the rate of the trunk of course, as there is less energy there than the rest of the tree)

if so, how do you plan to keep that branch in check ?

Kevin,

what was observed on branches in the ficus, is if there is no extension, the twigs being grown on the branch, hardly cause any fattening. So I will be expecting the same with the fustic, which is also a member of the same family as the ficus.

Plus, I intend to pass the energy through the second branch for 2015. I need it thicker and to help heal the wound next to it.

Additionally, on my side, trees on the highway and in the fields by their lonesome, will often develop low branches that are about 0.75 of the trunk. So even the first branch might have to be thickened eventually.
I try to pay attention to trees in nature, so I don't end up making Mannerised [ cookie cutter trees ].
Trees in a forest or jungle will have a different response in branch thickness and height [ being taller .]

Last point, these efforts of mine don't often photograph well, since the camera has one eye, and no real depth is given to the tree, which is why I often turn them to the side, so the viewer can see there is volume, in branching and leaf.This has led to quite a few on the Internet, presenting trees, with spindly branches to make the trunk look larger.
A visual illusion.

Bonsai if practiced as living sculpture, will not photograph well.
Worse when you see those spindly branches on thicker trunks, in reality.
Take care.
Khai....

* Please note this is also a new tree for me, and an experiment, can go anyway.

Thanks for answering Khai. I hope you'll show progression pictures.

David and Kevin,

a page from my sketch book, at the bottom is the what I expect to get eventually, the leaning image is what I wished I really had -

But instead of watching how about you guys try doing and post a topic on one or all of these -

[1] The Zelkova - I think the red stemmed variety for maximum branching [ talk yo Marcus Watts - member here.]

[2] The Chinese elms

[3] The American celtis types

[4] The American elms.

You can grow 8 to 12" [ 20.5 cm to 30.5 cm ] trees.

There is an article in - Handbook on Dwarfed Potted Trees  
- page 60 - Japanese Zelkova Bonsai from Seedlings.
Brooklyn Botannical Gardens Books

Inter-library loan or Amazon purchase

Trunks fattening and 6 branches all together.
Later.
Khai.......

Sketch book page -

Khaimraj Seepersad wrote:
But instead of watching how about you guys try doing and post a topic on one or all of these -

[1] The Zelkova - I think the red stemmed variety for maximum branching [ talk yo Marcus Watts - member here.]

[2] The Chinese elms

[3] The American celtis types

[4] The American elms.

already doing and posted the american (or possibly siberian) collected elm (last posted in fall so, nothing new to show on that)
also posted my air layers that came off a different elm

my chinese elm was purchased as a pre-bonsai and it isn't "mine" to show/post yet
(at least not until i put more of "my hand" on it, plans of which are in the works)

and i dont have either of the other 2...

next up for me though for posting will be my 1st phoenix graft attempt...

and i dont think either of us mind watching and learning during the cold grip of winter

I will be starting two new elm projects in Spring- one pot-grown and one still in the ground. Right now it's just reading, looking at pics of quality bonsai, and picking the brains of patient bonsai enthusiasts.

An update.
About a week or so after defoliatiing.
Tree also responds to cuttings, and ailayers.
Will be 10 years old in 2016.

Feel free to comment, nay or yay.
Enjoy
Khaimraj

Brother-in-law has a new camera.
It has this fun feature.
Laters.
Khaimraj

This fustic tree is coming along nicely. I really like how it is turning out. Nice. Only 10 years, and it looks quite nice. A mature tree image. (not an ancient tree image, but a nice healthy mature tree image). Nice.

Good job, I like your sketch for where it's heading.

3 other efforts -

[1] Note - none of these found seedlings behave like the first tree, leaves drop quickly and not after 6 to 8 months as on the first tree.
So I have airlayers and cuttings from the first tree growing on.

[2] All are under 5 to 8 years of age.

Feel free to comment, yay or nay.
Laters
Khaimraj

The tree today.
Pruned every week.
Can only handle 3 trees of this density,
Enjoy
Khaimraj

This one was found growing into a chain link fence over at the refinery, some years ago.
Still testing.
As usual say .........
Laters.
Khaimraj

this one i dig... except for the heavy-ish branch on the left, up in the crown...

Update - started work towards growing in a Bonsai pot. 2nd January 2016
Weather  changed from wet to dry and the tree wilted before the evening I was returning from Mayaro.
Leaves started falling and it began the self defoliate cycle. Which is normal for the tree.

Waiting to see if I have lost any fine branchlets.

I have since replanted the tree into a deeper pot, with about an inch [ 2.5 cm ] of commercial peatmoss with perlite and added 5 mm builder's gravel.

We are also awaiting a Tropical depression / storm tomorrow or next day. Rain.
Until,
Khaimraj

nice progression khai - but i'm still not sure how i feel about that heavy branch
i have one doing the same thing and i am struggling with that too...
(i am continually weakening mine)

Kevin,

thanks for looking [ just in case you are wondering, how so early in the morning - off to Toco, hour and half long drive. ]

This is all still a learning experience, I am hoping for the trunk to mature to 3" [ 8 cm ] and
that should bring everything into balance. It is presently just 1.5" [ 4 cm ]
Trouble is this tree will thicken branches easily, but not the trunk

So I have another test plant in a colander in the grow trough, to see how the trunk thickens.
[ an airlayer off of this plant ]

Unlike the ficus p. which thickens all over with a elongated branch, the chlorophora, just doesn't.

So there is a secret I have to uncover. Let you know visually when I do.
Laters.
Khaimraj