Latest Ilex Vomitoria score :)

I got another lead through Craigslist for some yaupon holly (ilex vomitoria) last week and got to collect them yesterday. Took me 3 hours to get all six. They were deceptively small looking but I found that they have massive base. I believe 5" is the smallest and depending how you measure them...some are probably as wide as 12" (multi-trunk). For reference, the fence bars are 4.5" measured center to center Turned out the owners chopped them down from 4' to 5' tall bushes 4 years ago. These are supposedly around 30 years old.

If there is a will there is a way...not sure how but I managed to fit all six in my sedan


Six (6) hours of trimming and pruning later and 4 x 40 gallon trash bag full of refuse later...they are all potted. Sorry for the fuzzy pics...they were taken from 20 feet away since it has been raining the whole day today.

#1 Lots of deadwood and carving opportunity

#2 Front right straight branch shortened

#3

#4 - 2 big branches were removed after this photo was taken (front slingshot branch and 2nd from right)

#5

#6 Big straight branch (2nd from right) was removed

These will be fun little monsters to play with.. great bases! It was especially nice of her to cut them back (a Bonsai cut!) so they'd grow back and have that extra ground growth before you found them. With all you've found, it's now: Dario - caretaker now of the largest, tiniest Yaupon forest in Central Texas!

Wow wow wowwww
Great ilex collection, congrats Dario!
Third and sixth are my favorites, and would like to watch their progress!

Good luck
Taner

Thanks guys!

Joey, I just hope they make it...it is a bit late for collecting. As I was telling you, I thought I will have 6 shohin materials from this lot...maybe one or 2 can be sumo shohin. I also had lots of potential "big cuttings" but I just threw them away...don't have space anymore.

Congrats Dario, nice "hunting"

Thanks Vlad.

Most of my "hunting" are done online and are free...I just need to put some sweat equity on it. More people should try it.

On this one, the landscaper actually urged the owners to post in Craigslist...saves them the effort and save the plants as well. Even though I thanked them for it, they also acknowledged that I save them time, effort, or money so it was mutual. They just asked me to give them a picture update (could be years from now) since they got intrigued with bonsai.

They also have several Indian Hawthorn they offered me but I am not sure if I should get them...I don't have any more space. I did promise to check when they are ready to rip them up to check the base. Those are really packed hedge that I cannot reach the base easily. They could be 30 years old as well so worth checking. We will see.