Help me design my buttonwood

I bought my first buttonwood and it will be going into my indoor setup with my mangroves. It will be planted in the rock on the right there and would like to have a cool design/carving for it.



Here it is and it has a 3" base and 16" tall-Some of you guys here are fantastic with design and I'm still learning so any help would be fantastic! I rotated the image as I would like a semi cascade kind of design-maybe bring the foligae back above the bend there?

since no help let me ask a question, how ez is button wood to bend? I was thinking of splitting the trunk and bending the trunk over the V bend?

I love the idea of incorporating the buttonwood into your waterscape. From my very limited experience with buttonwood I know that you can't give them enough water, food or pinching. The internodes on your buttonwood will get long and out of control very quickly. Pinch and pinch often. I've also found that you shouldn't use wire if possible. I tie down with raffia rather than risk wire scar. I can't quite visualize where you would split the trunk and then place it. I can't wait to see where you go with this. Please keep posting updates.

Jane

Giga,

if you can hold off on doing anything, Buttonwood is a full sun tree on our side [ over 30' - 10 m ] and I am not sure how well they will handle zones 7 to 8.
It's very pretty, can you first learn how to grow it, and take cuttings experiment on them in your set-up.

Try thinning the crown and see how it respinds. Take the cuttings, grow and see what you like.

On our side they prefer to grow in a soil mix actually heavy clay, and don't need coral.

If you decide to wait and grow the buttonwood, come back, get my attention, and we can design a tree for you.
As you decide,
I wish you well.

Oh and the wood is hard, but can decay easily if not close to 25 or 50 years old, and so you would be looking at most likely a wood hardener and then something to help with the extra moisture.
Laters.
Khaimraj