Photo taken 18 December 2011
Prunus Salicina – Green Gage Plum.
In about 1995 I dug this tree from beside the Hume Highway out near Marulan so it is likely that a traveller threw a stone out during their travels. At the time of digging it was quite tall and skinny but I cut it down and dug it anyway.
After taking it home and potting it up into a box I was disappointed with the cut off section of the trunk and so I put it up the back and that is where it remained for quite a few years with minimal bonsai treatment.
In about 2001 I was looking for a tree to design in the formal upright style and this tree had grown quite well, had the straight trunk I was looking for and as well had some good branches in good locations. This tree had been regularly fertilized and given sufficient water, and for this the tree has rewarded me with spring flowers each year, as well as plums that I get great pleasure in eating. There is some very special pleasure in eating fruit from your bonsai.
The above photo was taken in September 2007.
29 December 2007 and in fruit
Some work to straighten the tree up, more in line with the formal upright I was trying to achieve and a new pot made an improvement.
6 September 2009
Just recently potted, and in flower.
22 September 2010
Each year the flowering has improved.
8 September 2011
The flowering is the best it has been to date. A change in the fertilizer program has marked an improvement in the number of flowers, and also to the coverage of flowers.
23 October 2011
This photo in October 2011 shows the tree in the early stages of fruit. It normally sheds a few of these juvenile fruit and then carries some through the season.
Just as an up-date, the photo at the top of the story was taken 18 December 2011. The fruit are nearly ripe and I hope to eat a few of the plums before the birds get them. Currently there are about 70 fruit on this tree.
The fruit is ready to eat
The fruit of this plum changes from green to a soft yellow colour when it is ripe. Photo taken 15 January 2012.