Identification Help

This is a fantastic forum. It took some searching to find the best forum, but I believe this is it.

Attached is an image from the Japanese master. The tree used is a Hinoki Cypress, but I cannot find information on which specific type. From my research there is a wide range in growth habits for this type of Cypress. Might anyone know what type was used, as I am interested in getting this type to grow tall trunks.

And, if anyone know where seedlings could be obtained, that would be great.

Thanks
matt

hi Matt,
here is a bit more info including the pic you have used - hinoki forests

the best hinoki bonsai are usually just the normal forestry tree - hinoki cypess - chaemacyparis obtusa. The garden centers have lots of ornamental varieties that are not as suitable - swirled foliage, variagated or yellow tipped foliage, dwarf, short or round shrub like growth ect. This is a fairly slow growing tree as a bonsai anyway so you want to avoid dwarf varieties that grow even slower for larger bonsai.

The hinoki in my Gallery is standard forestry tree, grown from a cutting too which is very important otherwise you will certainly get an ugly swollen bulge from the graft. Named variety hinoki will mostly be grafted so are easy to avoid. seach this forum - several good hinoki threads

cheers Marcus

oh, and welcome to the forum ! you're right it is the best one by miles

cheers Marcus

Hello Marcus,

Thanks for your help.

I've got the President of the local Michigan bonsai organization helping me also. He is unsure what type it is, but I think you are correct that I will have to use cuttings. Just finding the right trees is difficult, but I'm willing to invest the years required to get a piece like this.

Once I get underway, I'll post some pictures.

I looked at your trees and you have some wonderful pieces.

Take Care
matt

thanks,

here is another great historical hinoki, again the standard forestry species great hinoki

I think you will struggle with material at a garden center as there are many unsuitable ornamental varieties - one named variety - gracilis - would be suitable as it grows quite upright and tree like. if you have to buy a grafted tree get it as a stock plant then you can take semi ripe cuttings and for quicker trees take air layers. I'm doing much the same with the white beech forest that is in development - all trees must be the same so there are air layers being taken ow nfrom the main trees, once these root I have another 3 branches to do - it will be a few years but the forest will amazing.

Try to investigate commercial growers that supply forestry plantations - they will be able to supply or advise where you will get true type trees and certainly not grafted. This will get you the essential young trees with small branches needed to start the project.

happy hunting

Marcus

M,

I will discuss gracilis with my local guy. He can get all kinds of interesting plants that can't be found in the local stores. I might get lucky. But, finding one large enough to do air layers anytime soon is very unlikely.

That is a very nice tree. Amazing the time and effort required to produce such a masterpiece.

Thanks again and good luck.

m

M,

Do you think the standard or the nana version of gracilis cypress false hinoki would be better? Large trees are available, to my surprise.

Thanks
m

hi,
yes - gracilis nana will give you results - I found some via google in the USA at 2 meters high so there are certainly trees up to that size you can use. nana grows nice and tight, but in whorls - its hard to explain but when you are formng the branches try to cut off the foliage that grows in verticle planes and keep all the 'flat' foliage. before long all your branches have only flat foliage pads so it looks like a tree and not a pom pom - this is the biggest trick with hinoki - to use the bits that look realistic and cut off the rest!

prune off the whorls, try to root them as cuttings, if they die it makes no difference but if they root it is a bonus.

cheers Marcus