where do you get your trees?

Awesome ideas... and thank you. I won't be digging up that many trees for a long time. lol.. I do have about 30 wooded acres at my disposal if needed... but it's mostly sycamore, oak (black and white), Maple, maybe an elm here or there and maybe a cherry tree here or there. Most of the saplings I've seen have been sycamore and maples. I LOVE sycamore trees but from what I have read, they are not very good for bonsai because they keep their large leaf size.

I'll keep my eyes open for tree material (along with deer and squirrels) the next time I hit the woods!

look for those Red Maples , forbes.  They collect well, can have interesting trunks close to the base, and the leaves will reduce.

Forbes,


Full sun - fertiliser - well watered

look closely - Seagrape [Cocoloba uvifera ]
Later.
Khaimraj ------------------------ dare to dream

I think sea grape is a bit of an odd case, Khaimraj.   I doubt the North American Sycamore would do the same. I can't tell if you battered tape measure is inches or centimeters, but sycamore leaves are better than twice the size of sea grape.

Jim,

the tape measure is in both inches and centimetres.

http://hort.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/plaocca.pdf

says - 8 to 12 " for leaves

http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/cocuvia.pdf

says 8 to 12 " for leaves

Later.
Khaimraj -------------- dare to dream

Nice one Khai.. Long time no talk

Red Maples are VERY abundant around here... They are absolutely beautiful right now as well! It's a beautiful time of year to be in the Northeast.

acer rubrum is our north american red maple, btw

i have also collected beech (fagus grandifolia), shadbush (amelanchier), Eastern red Cedar (juniperus virginiana), Hornbeam (carpinus caroliniana)

I'm new, too, so any one of these could have problems unknown to me as of yet.

get a good tree id book

Dave Leppo wrote:acer rubrum is our north american red maple, btw

These are bonsaiable.  Most will have to be a fairly large bonsai and you will have to keep on top of pruning and pinching or the internodes will become too far apart.  Petioles on the leaves are quite long, so the tree will never (I suspect) look as neat and well groomed at the trident or Japanese maples we see.

i have also collected beech (fagus grandifolia), shadbush (amelanchier), Eastern red Cedar (juniperus virginiana), Hornbeam (carpinus caroliniana)

I'm new, too, so any one of these could have problems unknown to me as of yet.

The American beech leaves are a bit large and are difficult to reduce.  The tree usually only has one spring growth period, so you can't really pinch and prune as you might with other trees.  They backbud readily, though, but seldom where you want them, and the buds tend to grow out at all sorts of odd angles.  Best bet for better branching is thread grafts, either with its own branches or with one or more trees sitting beside it.  

Shadbush (Amelanchier) is an ideal North American species and should be used more often.

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is used as bonsai, but they are a bit difficult.  Best colleted from pastures where livestock has been "pruning" them vigorously for some years, or from exposed cliff faces where the weather has done the same.  Be careful of bulls or of falls from great height.

The hornbeam is very useful as bonsai, but again in North America is better as a large one because of leaf size.  Leaves will reduce, but they're good size to start  with.  Fall color in American hornbeam is much better than the European version -- at least the ones I've seen[/quote]

get a good tree id book

Peterson Field Guides - Eastern Trees -- by Petrides and Wehr.  Audubon Society Field Guide (eastern) is OK.

I like to buy collected trees from experienced collectors. I also like visiting local nurseries and visit them frequently. Stock changes all the time and you just might find something that just came in. I found a Japanese Snowbell tree a couple of months ago at a nursery that I normally do not go to. It should make a nice tree some day. You can also spend hours looking on line for trees. Our local bonsai club has a Bonsai Vendor page that may help you find some trees your interested in: Bonsai Vendors

Mike

JimLewis wrote:

Dave Leppo wrote:acer rubrum is our north american red maple, btw

These are bonsaiable.  Most will have to be a fairly large bonsai and you will have to keep on top of pruning and pinching or the internodes will become too far apart.  Petioles on the leaves are quite long, so the tree will never (I suspect) look as neat and well groomed at the trident or Japanese maples we see.

i have also collected beech (fagus grandifolia), shadbush (amelanchier), Eastern red Cedar (juniperus virginiana), Hornbeam (carpinus caroliniana)

I'm new, too, so any one of these could have problems unknown to me as of yet.

The American beech leaves are a bit large and are difficult to reduce.  The tree usually only has one spring growth period, so you can't really pinch and prune as you might with other trees.  They backbud readily, though, but seldom where you want them, and the buds tend to grow out at all sorts of odd angles.  Best bet for better branching is thread grafts, either with its own branches or with one or more trees sitting beside it.  

Shadbush (Amelanchier) is an ideal North American species and should be used more often.

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is used as bonsai, but they are a bit difficult.  Best colleted from pastures where livestock has been "pruning" them vigorously for some years, or from exposed cliff faces where the weather has done the same.  Be careful of bulls or of falls from great height.

The hornbeam is very useful as bonsai, but again in North America is better as a large one because of leaf size.  Leaves will reduce, but they're good size to start  with.  Fall color in American hornbeam is much better than the European version -- at least the ones I've seen

the OP's results may vary as much as yours and mine have