Tree Identification

Yesterday morning, when I went out to vist my trees, I found these three trees in my back yard (apparently the Bonsai Fairy made a splendid layover in my yard.)

I know the taller of the three is an Elaeagnus augustifolia 'Russian Olive'. I believe one is a Taxus x media 'Globe Yew'. What is the third? At present it has become the finest bonsai in my collection (I'm a relative NEWBY!)

Pictures of the three trees in the foreground as follows:





forbey

Almost certainly Taxodium distichum - Swamp Cypress. Can make great bonsai.

That is definitely a Bald Cypress (taxodium distichum). Just as Kev stated.

When it comes time to repot, put it in something wide and shallow. A grow box would be great. The roots on these trees can grow tremendously over a single season. Select a leader and wire it up. It grows fast and before you know it you are going to have a nice base to build on.

They bud back profusely and can take a hard chop. Although it seem you won't be needing to do that for a while.

Keep us posted on your progress.

Ed

Thanks!

I figure I will need to let it grow for a season or two. Maybe repot to a grow box, although the pot it is in is pretty big.

There are two top lead branches. I'm sure, at some time, I will have to choose one to head up.

Will leaving both to develop cause the trunk at the top to swell, creating a reverse taper? I believe I need to retain the back buds that form around the base to provide vigor to allow the trunk at ground level to swell and sacrifice them down the road.

Thanks again.

forbey

There are two top lead branches. I'm sure, at some time, I will have to choose one to head up.
Yes

Will leaving both to develop cause the trunk at the top to swell, creating a reverse taper?
Yes

I believe I need to retain the back buds that form around the base to provide vigor to allow the trunk at ground level to swell and sacrifice them down the road.
It's the roots that will "pull" the base of this tree into developing that great buttressing that bald cypress are known for. That's why you have to give it room to run latterly. Those lower buds will go away all by themselves. BC's are not known for their low branches. They never really grow and just fall off eventually. In fact, mature specimens of BC in the wild here in Florida and other southern states develop what's known as a "flat top" where all the branches have fallen off except for the topmost growth which spreads out and develops a flat canopy... Flat top.

Ed

Jay, having grown up in Bloomington, IL, I wasn't familiar with bald cypress, but they grow all over the place down here (zone 6 vs. 4). They need a lot of water, in fact they will grow in nothing but water. There is a big stand of them in the Cache River (i.e. swamp) down here. I'm curious, did it winter outside at your house? If so, I'm surprised it survived. Good luck, they make good trees, I'm working on a grove.

I just received it from a fellow bonsai enthusiast in Lincoln yesterday morning. I believe it overwintered in his basement under grow lights with the rest of his tropicals. I will have to pay close attention to it's watery needs.

My tropicals also overwinter in a heated area in my basement (or at work in my office.)

Jay

I just had a THUNK, (past tense of think).

As one would look at the Cypress photo above, if I were to take the top left branch and wire it straight up to be the new trunk lead, I could then leave the branch on the right and it would fit into the alternating pattern already established.

Any arguments, comments, suggestions?

Jay

I think that would work. Here is a web site that specifically describes a method for developing taper in BC: http://www.vlbanting.com/makingtaperoncypress.htm

This person was the teacher for Guy Gundry whose site offers some good pics of developed BC. Gundry also has one at the National Arboretum. [url=http://www.bonsainorthshore.com/www.bonsainorthshore.com/BONSAI_NORTHSHORE_Nursery.html ]http://www.bonsainorthshore.com/www.bonsainorthshore.com/BONSAI_NORTHSHORE_Nursery.html [/url]

I had a swamp cypress. It was in a big pot just growing in preparation for something or other. One summer I asked my neighbours to water my trees when Iwas on holiday for a couple of weeks. Apparently ther was a big storm the night we left, and a garden chair was blown over onto the tree, squishing it and making it lean over to one side and almost completely covering it. I discovered this when I got back two weeks later.I removed the chair and the tree eased it's way back upright althouh not totally but appeared otherwise completely unharmed.

the following year, my brother in law, who is a turd, fact, took watering duties because he stayed in our house as things were getting heated at his own gaff due to divorce procedings. He killed it in a week. Told you he was a turd. There's a moral in there somewhere. Dunno what it is though.

bobby little wrote: ... a garden chair was blown over onto the tree, squishing it and making it lean over to one side and almost completely covering it...
... my brother in law, who is a turd... There's a moral in there somewhere. Dunno what it is though.

If your brother in law had done the same as the first guy, would it have been not so much completely covered as "in-turd"

Are you sure thats a yew. looks like some sort of chamecyparis? !

Not positive about the yew, but I will check to verify.

fionnghal wrote:

bobby little wrote: ... a garden chair was blown over onto the tree, squishing it and making it lean over to one side and almost completely covering it...
... my brother in law, who is a turd... There's a moral in there somewhere. Dunno what it is though.

If your brother in law had done the same as the first guy, would it have been not so much completely covered as "in-turd"

the depths of the man's knavery have only become apparent since the divorce really got rolling. I should have smelled a rat when he turned up with the collars of his 'White Stuff' polo shirt turned up.