The Pine family (Pinaceae) is quite extensive with a range of species and genera including Abies, Cedrus, Keteleeria, Larix, Picea, Pinus, Pseudolarix, Pseudotsuga and Tsuga. Pines are softwood trees and are classified into groups dependent on the number of needles they have.
This is a stunning species of tree, the gorgeous white bark of the Japanese White Beech (Fagus crenate) is one of the fabulous facets of this tree. It belongs to the Fagaecea family of Beeches and the most common native Fagus sylvatica can be widely seen throughout the British Isles as a majestic tree in its own right as well as used in bonsai.
Hawthorns belong to the Roseacea family and are a hardy set of thorns, which are highly adaptable and thrive in a variety of locations. They are tolerant of wet and dry conditions and can be pruned hard to encourage new growth.
As many of you will know, Ritta and I love Japan, and we have become regular visitors. This enables us to indulge our love of the country and its culture, as well as our passion for bonsai and nishikigoi. In November 2013 we were fortunate to be able exhibit a bonsai that we own in the 33rd Taikan-ten bonsai exhibition in Kyoto. Taikan-ten is the most famous exhibition in western Japan, and in our view is only surpassed by Kokufu.
Further details can be found our Winter Show page
When you wound a bonsai tree through the removal of a branch you create a wound. Depending on where you prune the branch back to will depend on what type of response the tree will have to the wound created. Some wounds will seal over completely, while others will remain with a hole or cavity or wound feature and this is down to where you prune.
Many bonsai artists are looking to develop their trees and in order to do this, they need to manipulate where branches are located and this can be difficult on larger thicker branches and advanced bonsai material. There are certain biological elements of the tree though that will make the bending of branches harder and one of these elements is the formation of reaction wood.
The sexual expression of flowering plants is an interesting one, and often I am caught referring to a tree as a him or her and in some cases this is correct as there are distinct male and female trees for some species but also there are a few variations to consider.
A few explanations for why trees grow the way they do… and how this can be good to know when developing your bonsai tree’s…
1st place – RA, White Beech
2nd place – PB, Larch
3rd place – AW, Stewartia
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