Old Newbie Here!

Well, I am new to this forum, old in the sense that I am starting the hobby after being out of it for almost 15 years (5-10 years in Oregon) and new to a bonsai club here in Arizona. Being a desert dweller, I will probably be leaning towards the heat-tolerant plants and have picked up a small Desert Hackberry (celtis pallida) and a small Green Cloud Sage (leucophyllum frutenscens). Does anyone have some pointers on these before I start into the repotting?

deanoaz

I assume you have seen the Phoenix Bonsai site, http://www.phoenixbonsai.com/ There is a list of suitable plants for desert bonsai there -- along with a lot of other excellent info.

Welcome to the IBC. Don't hesitate to ask questions; there aren't a lot of desert dwellers here, but I lived in S. AZ for some years and visit frequently.

Martha Meehan sells Leucophyllum frutescens. She may be able to give you some information on it. http://www.meehansminiatures.com/
Iris

deanoaz wrote:Well, I am new to this forum, old in the sense that I am starting the hobby after being out of it for almost 15 years (5-10 years in Oregon) and new to a bonsai club here in Arizona. Being a desert dweller, I will probably be leaning towards the heat-tolerant plants and have picked up a small Desert Hackberry (celtis pallida) and a small Green Cloud Sage (leucophyllum frutenscens). Does anyone have some pointers on these before I start into the repotting?

deanoaz

Here is a list of characteristics from the USDA database for the hackberry that may be helpful. If it's anything like the other species of celtis it should make a fine bonsai. The name Celtis pallida is now considered a synonym and has changed to Celtis ehrenbergiana.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=CEPA8

Would love to here how it performs for you and maybe see some progression pictures as you go along.

Randy