Buckthorn(Rhamnus cathartica) as bonsai?

Hello,
I am wondering if anyone has tried this species as a bonsai. It is considered an invasive species in a couple of states and has seriously taken hold around my area. I have no qualms killing them in the name of bonsai experimentation, although I would rather create beautiful trees of them.In my observations it seems very hardy and could probably endure many bonsai techniques. I often see very large trees cut down and they grow back profusely in just one season. It also seems to be a very shallow rooter and large stumps could probably be collected relatively easily. Through searching I have found one image of it as a bonsai, but there wasn't much information. If anyone has tried it out I would love some info. Thanks

Todd

Hi Todd,

I have a couple of collected seedlings (collected in July) which made it through the Winter just fine. They are considered invasive in Virginia. They are pretty trees and probably would do well as bonsai. The berries are nice. I don't know what the flowers look like. I say "go for it!" Regards, Todd

I tried it once. & I've seen it occasionally. I think it just doesn't do well as a pot plant.
Iris

Todd Ellis wrote: I don't know what the flowers look like.

They don't look like much of anything.
Iris

bonsaisr wrote:

Todd Ellis wrote: I don't know what the flowers look like.

They don't look like much of anything.
Iris

Thanks for the tip Iris.
Todd

Thanks for the encouragement.
I have a couple potentials that are in the ground, they were cut back from large trees and are back budding well. I'll wait to dig them up next year though. The seem to be very fast growers, and just the trunk chop has reduced the leaf size impressively. We'll see how they turn out.

Todd

Do everyone a favor if they do flower. Either don't let them go to seed, or make certain the birds don't get the fruits and destroy them when they get withered.

They are scattered through the landscape because birds (and other animals) "dispose of" indigestible seeds.

Jim,
I'm with you on that, from everything I've read they are very harmful to the native plants. When I do finally begin with them I will net them when the flowers and berries arrive. The sad part is that the invasion is already severe around my area. The forests near my house are dominated by buckthorn. It seems that much of the plant life and trees I see in the forest nearby is an invasive species of some kind. Suburbia has really brought in a plethora of invasive plants with thier landscaping.

Todd

It's not only suburbia. Farmers probably have brought in more exotic plants in the name of fodder, erosion control, fruit or what have you. And then there are the ones that came by "mistake." And a few that have been released deliberately just to see what havoc they can cause.

I have one too. In holland it's called "Vuilboom" which means as much as "Foultree". I really like it, I found it at the edge of a forest in a nice miniature bush form with many vigorous branches and some nice movement, needless to say I was quite glad I got permission to take it home. It is one of my very first trees, so far I've only pinched out the new growths in the top to see how it develops. I'm not going to wire or style it at any stage, I want this one to stay natural. The thing I like most about it is the superbly fresh green leaves that sprout out of the dark, allmost black, twigs that ramify easily. It always is the first of my trees to start leaving in spring, it becomes very full and green very quickly.

What I've heard it is an invasive species, here too, eventhough in the forest I found it you'll find very few. Foresters tend to kill them as soon as they see one. They bloom very inconspicuous and the berries are nice but don't expect more than a few. Don't overfeed it in summer or it will produce a bunch of very strong growing shoots with very big leaves, it completely messes up the tree. Also keep pinching/cutting out the green top growth after the first pair of leaves during the whole growing season, if you don't it will just keep growing up and hardly ramify at all and only form long twiggy branches. If you do keep pinching/cutting it will ramify very well, I like the general look of the plant if done like that. The main trunk takes ages to thicken though!

Ps. There no such thing as invasive species in nature, only the wrong tree for the right ecosystem. A japanese maple could be just as invasive in the right conditions. Every tree is beautiful, it usually is us humans who do the invasivene things and blame nature.

hey dready !!!

i stumbled upon this older post as i was updating my logs and getting some addnl info on my buckthorn...

i know you are still around, so i'm hoping to see how your buckthorn thing is going...

i got the ID for mine on the IBC but didnt see this thread at the time...

so heres mine

first in situ (i found it cleaning out the detritus of winter from my front flower bed, which i dont do every year)





harvested and potted may 2014 and these next 2 pics are june 2014





and then nov 2014
lots of choices... hope i made some good ones to eventually work with...





dready - i really hope to see yours if you ended up doing one...
thanks !

I believe that there is a section on Buckthorn in Nick Lenz's book Bonsai from the Wild.

no... but there should be !

(i have the newest 2nd addn and no buckthorns)

Well...
I had a couple on some family land that I intended to dig. I cut them back and prepared them but never got around to pulling them up. I guess I should go this spring and dig em. I couldn't get a whole lot of information about growing them and I am easily distracted. Yours seems to be doing well in a pot which is what I was told was difficult. I'll grab the ones I had prepared and let you know how they do.

Todd

yeah, iris mentioned that she didnt think they do well in a pot, but i havent noticed any issues...

will look forward to seeing what you dig up, todd.