Red Cedar - Juniper Virginiana

I took this Red Cedar (aka Juniperus Virginiana) yesterday to the Ed Trout workshop of the BSSWFL.

Ed, the "low solution" was good way to go! I decided to leave the second higher top jin on for now. Perhaps it is a safer way to keep the foliage beneath that one than beneath the other bigger one. I will try to match the wood. The "totem pole" has not been finished yet, need to add more taper to it.

Again, congrats on the National Exhibition Award, Ed, and many thanks for coming over to the Wesy coast!

-dorothy

All your trees are beautifully styled Dorothy, this one`s no exception. Well done.

Ian.

This is great work Dorthy.

The "low solution" works for me too. What a transformation. Just as a matter of interest, how much did you cut off the overall height from the start of the process to where you are at now?




Hope the cat didn't think the soil was cat litter for its benefit!

Another excellent tree Dorothy! Lovely tearing of the deadwood, very sympathetic. I'm not familiar with this species [yet again], it looks to have both adult and juvenile foliage, a bit like scale Junipers?

Hi Dorothy, very well done and interesting plant with a promising future. Congratulations, Pavel S.

That is a really lovely tree.

Will wrote:

I'm not familiar with this species [yet again], it looks to have both adult and juvenile foliage, a bit like scale Junipers?

Juniperus virginiana is a weed all over the eastern USA at elevations to about 2,000 feet, and for some reason has been transplanted to many western states. It tends to have both kinds of foliage most of the time (there's a variety, salicicola, that has very delicate, and always prickly foliage). Common name is "red cedar" but, of course, it isn't a cedar. Wood is used for the common yellow #2 pencil and to line "cedar chests" as it is very aromatic. Used as fenceposts, its heartwood (which is cherry red) never rots. Sapwood is a different story. It rots if you spit at it.

Most American bonsaiests don't feel this is the juniper of choice to work on -- probably because it IS such a weed (I have hundreds on my little 8-acre plot here in the mountains and anyone is welcome to dig any one of them at any time). It is used as a Christmas tree in the deep south (but wear gloves when hanging ornaments and especially when removing them!) and that is its preferred shape to its largest size (50 feet) -- probably another reason so few are chosen as bonsai.

I kinda like them, and have several shohin to mame size in the works.

That's gonna be a very nice bonsai, Dorothy.

once again beautiful work dorothy! what im seeing is that ed trout obviously runs great work shops.

wonderfulllly done dorothy =)

Nice work Dorothy.

I like this species (grows wild like a weed here also) but it is hard to find any with anything but a ramrod straight trunk, nice material you got there. I also like the purplish color of the winter foliage, but find Cedar apple rust loves this species, I pick galls off every year from mine.



Will

Thank you Ian, Juraj, Fiona, Will B., Pavel, Smithy, Jim, Antonio, 6hunter and Will H.!

Fiona,
when I got the tree (stock) it was about 2 feet taller. That was in 2005. The branching wasn't good and I decided to reduce height and create the main deadwood. Weathering added what I needed to procede with the carving and additional growth off the left branch (now trunk) made it possible to go for the low solution.
After I cut off everyhing I did not need, I ended up with 2 branches.. The low 2 branches ( and the little branch to the left) are actually comming off a bent downwards branch hidden behind the trunk. I am very good at packing a suitcase too when going on a trip..usually I end up paying overweight fees..

Will H.,

fortunately you won't find any of the hosts needed for Cedar apple rust down here. Thanks for the comment, glad you like the tree.

-dorothy