Alaska Yellow-Cedar

Greg/Al,
As you stated …….we've joined the A.C. club…for many of the more experienced folks here have been learning to grow and style them for at least a decade.
I think that the choice of branch development (drooping vs. compact) is a choice based on the characteristics of the tree and the style one chooses.
Not trying to steal your thread …just trying to exchange ideas and information……so I’ve attached a couple of photos of very old ancient Alaskan Cedar (what we call yellow cedar) which show different branch distinctiveness.
Cheers Graham

Graham--thanks so much for posting these Very valuable for the skeptics to see they have their own distinctive characteristics as they age and become ancient trees. Please feel free to share anything else you have about this species

I especially like the one in the second pic w/the dead top. Similar to what our hemlocks and doug fir do when the reach that tall. Does the wood make good timber? Looks like they grow pretty straight and the wood has plenty of resin--would make good fence boards anyway

Hi Greg,
thanks for the details - as you pointed out other guys have used a similar species but not this one to make nice bonsai so i guess that does mean it is potentially unknown to you and everyone else if this variety will ever set in the design you hope to achieve, or whether all the branches will just flop when the wire comes off. I dont know if it is different over there but i see wire as a tempory addition to a tree, not the only way to maintain the chosen design indefinitely. It is essential people pioneer in our hobby and try unknown varieties though, so all credit to you on this one, and equal credit to the person who paid $500 for the tree to fund the experiment too

Nothing (but a bit of time) will be lost trying, but it is worth looking at a convincing weeping style tree too, even though it is a much harder style to do (like proper windswept) they are far more unusual and eye catching when done well. Several years ago Dan Barton commented on a juniper sp. i styled in a competition and the advice made so much sense i have never forgotten it.......... it was to always understand what the tree wants to be, and to work with the material not against it.

nice blog thread and great pics

cheers Marcus

love the full sized pics - even though they are huge trees lots of foliage appears to hang straight down, so i think there are clues there

marcus watts wrote:love the full sized pics - even though they are huge trees lots of foliage appears to hang straight down, so i think there are clues there

Marcus--maybe I went overboard in my zeal to talk about how this tree should appear as a bonsai. My intent is not to rigidly force it into some form it would not naturally take. If you look closely at the result of the initial styling, I took complete advantage of the growing habit of the foliage. I did wish to point out that I'm continually surprised at how reluctant people in bonsai--even here in Portland--are to accepting a different species of tree and how they fail to get beyond a trait like droopy or coarse foliage. I have no doubt at all the branches will stay set once the wire is removed. I have been working with Western red cedar and it is hardly distinguishable from yellow cedar. Droopy foliage and all. I think it would be cool to try one in a weeping style too I'll bet there's one out there now...

gregb wrote:Graham--thanks so much for posting these Very valuable for the skeptics to see they have their own distinctive characteristics as they age and become ancient trees. Please feel free to share anything else you have about this species
I'll talk to the pioneers of this species up here Anton Nihuis and Peter Wilson to see what they do with thiers - Peter was working on one recently that mirrors the images in the photos I posted, I'll try and get some pictures.

I especially like the one in the second pic w/the dead top. Similar to what our hemlocks and doug fir do when the reach that tall. Does the wood make good timber? Looks like they grow pretty straight and the wood has plenty of resin--would make good fence boards anyway

I'll quote from the company PR "It is renowned for its strength and natural resistance to weather, rot and termites. Yellow-Cedar provides a "green" alternative to chemically treated wood for outdoor decking, fencing, marine pilings, docks and other structures in fresh water. It is well suited to coastal environments and termite-infested regions".

The timber brings a pretty penny - one of the most valuable on the coast, very slow growing, tight grain, finishes off really well - the Japanese are a big buyer of this species and the operation I work for has recently sent over some temple logs that were huge - the temple will take some 5 years to complete.
Not really a bonsai post but might be interesting to some
Cheers Graham

I think it's relevant if you're looking for something durable to build bonsai benches out of and don't want/like pressure treated lumber which doesn't last forever either. Slow growing and tight grain are both a plus for bonsai and explains why the tree I styled still had some wood intact after being buried for possibly centuries in peat moss.

so whats wrong with a little drooping-make lemonade out of a lemon, I love this drooping foliage with the right trunk, just tamed a bit,kora

kora wrote:so whats wrong with a little drooping-make lemonade out of a lemon, I love this drooping foliage with the right trunk, just tamed a bit,kora

Thanks Kora--that's the spirit

Give it up greg. the cheerleading outfit you are wearing for team yellow cedar is getting old. We get the point...move on.