And now for some nudity ------------- shhhhh -----

Morning Folks,

this is an Oxy [ really long name, if you really want it just ask please ]
A swamp to back of swamp dweller.
The largest trunk I have ever seen is under 12" [ 30.5 cm ]

The specialty is when this tree blooms, it loses all of it's leaves and bedecks itself in white stars, about the size of the Serissa flowers, but they are shaped like this *.
Still have to learn how to get the whole shrub to do that, max height is 14' or so [ 4 to 5 m ]

Root system is fibrous and pleasantly scented.

Height 12" [ 30.5 cm ] width the same and trunk is about 1.25" [ 3.3 cm ]

Found growing as a 3" [ 8cm ] seedling on a coconut root in a coconut estate [ I got the owner's permission to take it .]
Age - guesstimated as 11 years.
Consumes water by the bucket, but does not like to stand in water [ tested this on another plant .]
And as usual feel free to comment - yay or nay.
Enjoy.
Khaimraj

Yes, another new and test tree -

Meet Galadriel, lady of the stars.




Defoliated and I have to get a pot. It is leaf dense, not branchlet. The elevated roots are quite beautiful I will show that next year.



Here you are 827 leaves --- I counted them.

I like your tree! I'v never seen one of these as a bonsai.

Is it an Oxydendrum?

Thanks Gary.

It's Erythroxylum ovatum.cav and it generally stays in the swamps or as badly chopped stumps in the coconut estates, which tend to follow the swamps, as low lying land goes.

It's one of those trees / shrubs that have amazing healing abilities for large wounds.
Later.
Khaimraj

A definite yay for the second photo... What's the time/age difference between first and second photo or is it just the angle of it? (defoliated only?)....i like the "nude" presentation more.
Lady of the stars...would love to see the stars when she is ready. ...the elf queen? -Galadriel- kind of sounds like my last name

Gašper

Thanks Khaimraj Seepersad.

I love it.

Gašper,

the first image was in August, and the difference is simply the lighting. The second image uses 45 deg light or so and more of a studio effect.

I have to choose a new pot and see if I can find /make one that is deep enough to keep the shrub healthy and in full leaf. My earlier efforts on a larger specimen, never got near the density of this one as leaf goes.

Probably never be a great or classic bonsai, but I have africanised bee hives on hillocks, in the swamps with these shrubs around them. Memories again.
Thanks for asking.
Later.
Khaimraj

* Can you imagine this plant in stars ------------- wow !

Thanks for the explanation, Khaimraj. To my inexperienced eye the two photos looked years apart. I need to improve my photography skills - while my outside photos of nature look ok, my indoor achievements suck
To me the tree looks great and yes, do keep it healthy