Ligustrum species

Seller said it is a species of ligustrum -unfortunately the image is not recent-
The leaves are wavy, light green color and it needs more watering than other ligustri.
I read that Ligustrum japonicum 'Recurvifolium' has thick, dark green, wavy leaves but I am almost sure this is not mine, because the leaves of the tree in question are kind of soft and silky in touch.

Does anybody has an idea about this? Perhaps it's something else confused with ligustrum...?

Thank you!

Ligustrum sinense

Like this one? https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t14125-ligustrum-mini#145651
Thank you Xavier!

Yes Nellie, same as for Jim and mine from the look of it.

Here are some pictures of mine:
You can compare:









Its considered an invasive species where I live.
Very tolerant to mistreatment if in good health.
It likes sunny, warm and humid conditions in my case.
Drinks lots of water, in my climate it can give off something like 2 to 4 growth cycles per year.


Here, Juvenile leaves are pale green and turn darker as it matures.
I don't know if they will fall off in a temperate climate, but here [tropical climate] they are evergreen.
If you need something specific don't hesitate to ask.
Hopefully Jim can pipe in with more info

Cheers,

Thank you Xavier!

Xavier de Lapeyre wrote:... ...Drinks lots of water, in my climate it can give off something like 2 to 4 growth cycles per year.
It's the same here in Greece, drinks a lot and gives a lot. It's the joy of pruning  

Here, Juvenile leaves are pale green and turn darker as it matures.
I don't know if they will fall off in a temperate climate, but here [tropical climate] they are evergreen.
Not great difference between juvenile and mature color of leaves, here.
Behaves like an evergreen here, too.

For the time being I am feeding it a lot because I want to grow the trunk more than the previous owner. There is almost no taper....,  unfortunately it has not sprout any new shoot from the base which could be used as a sacrifice branch... Any tips are welcome.

Hi Alexandra

Your tree look quit newly pottet....Next year from late july when the tree is potbound, can you carefully, without desturbing the roots, take it to a bigger pot, and let it stay there for the rest of the growingseason...during late winter repot it again in a small pot....you can do this every year, and the taper/nebari will become better...inbetween can you let it stay in the bigger pot for a whole growingseason more, if the tree became potbound during fall/winter...dependts on you.

At the same time can you prune the tree a little more triangle, it will also help.

Kind regards Yvonne

my nellie wrote:For the time being I am feeding it a lot because I want to grow the trunk more than the previous owner. There is almost no taper....,  unfortunately it has not sprout any new shoot from the base which could be used as a sacrifice branch... Any tips are welcome.

In that case I'd say take it out of the pot and place in a bigger container or colander.
Not sure if yours will react the same way, but the ones I have tends to give long leggy growth but not much in terms of taper when placed in a pot.
My guess is that in a tight space it will make lots of fine long roots that will help the plant thrive in the pot, but not give much to the taper. If its behaving the same way, you need to give it space for it to grow longer roots to force the base to thicken. You'll need to keep regular check every 6 ~ 8 months at least to prevent any massive root from developping.

Alternatively, I'm starting to used a progressive exposure of the roots to give the illusion of a wider taper and nebari a the base.


For the sprouts at the base, its kind of a hassle to get it to sprout in lower regions once it has an established foliage mass in the upper regions.
I've completely defoliated mine [ make sure its healthy first ] on several occasions and it seems to encourage adventurous growth lower down on the next growth cycle, but the locations are pretty random.


Do you have a recent picture? What Yvonne suggested is pretty sound too, but if the picture is not recent, there might be more work needed than just shaping.

I forgot to mention...the pot you move the tree to, is a bonsai pot only this much larger, as you expect the roots will grow for the rest of the season....

Good luck with what you decide to do...keep us updated.

Kind regards Yvonne

Yvonne, thank you for your reply.

Yvonne Graubaek wrote:... ...At the same time can you prune the tree a little more triangle, it will also help.

In fact I have pruned/wired the little tree to a more rounded shape. I have to upload a recent photo for you to see and comment.
Later....

L. sinensis is slow to develop taper. Most of mine come from cuttings, and I select them to have some taper at least. This little one is about 10-12 years old. Five inches from pot rim.



I've kept this one in a tiny pot from the first day onward.

I think if you want any noticeable taper in a reasonable time, you will have to go through a series of trunk chops, starting low on the trunk. You will get many root sprouts afterward, and you should zealously remove them, keeping on the new growth from the top. I think the tree needs shortening in any event.

Good luck.

Xavier, colanders are not a viable idea in Greece except if used for pines and/or olives. Or of course if colander is potted into a bigger pot. The climate is too dry.

Xavier de Lapeyre wrote:

my nellie wrote:... ...Alternatively, I'm starting to used a progressive exposure of the roots to give the illusion of a wider taper and nebari a the base.
This is what I did already. You'll see it when I post new photo

Do you have a recent picture? What Yvonne suggested is pretty sound too, but if the picture is not recent, there might be more work needed than just shaping.
See my answer above

JimLewis wrote:... ...I think if you want any noticeable taper in a reasonable time, you will have to go through a series of trunk chops, starting low on the trunk.  You will get many root sprouts afterward, and you should zealously remove them, keeping on the new growth from the top.  I think the tree needs shortening in any event.

Reasonable time, this is what I'm always after  
I've already shorten the tree a little but maybe trunk chop is the correct way to follow in order to get a harmonious small tree as a result.

Alexandra,

I am so sorry you cut that shrub. It is so beautiful. Stately and graceful,
I would have done a virtual to show you what I saw, but alas.

Do me a favour, test this idea. Climate too dry, mix more compost into to compensate for for the dryness.
I am working on an idea. If one can use 1/3 or more compost in a clander, then the fertiliser need only be compost tea or seaweed.

Will let you know next year how it worked out.

Wish I had that tree from the first image. So elegant.
Later,
Khaimraj