AusBonsai

I brought this today on clearance at the Big Green shed. I love the bark texture and will chop it down to keep the bark as a feature.
it was unmarked (no label) but they had another with a label the same so I "think' it is "Euonymus Alata". (this picture is off the net for id...not mine but my tree looks identical in the bark and has two trunks like this one. My question is can I cut it back now or should I wait until dormancy? Mr Google tells me I can strike green cuttings in Summer so will do that with the prunings...if OK to cut it hard now ,it is almost 90cm high at the momenta nd there are lower branches to cut to.Will take a pic tomorrow.

You can prune now. Most plants respond quicker when pruned while actively growing.
Cuttings will strike now if you can keep humidity high enough to stop them dehydrating before growing roots. Dormant winter cuttings are easier because there's no need for high humidity.

Did the label say dwarf? There's a dwarf variety - Euonymus alata compactus that should be a smaller type. Net says 2-3 m but ours seem to have stopped at around 1.5m tall with similar spread.

Thank you for the quick response, No label at all Shibui- that was why it was on the clearance table. Question is - suitable for bonsai or better off in my garden? Have the right spot for it if it doesn't like being to reduced into a bonsai- just love that bark. Too hot for pics right now but will get one in next 24 hours.

The "Winged Spindle bush" renowned for stunning pink Autumn colour Sue. The non winged variety also make good Bonsai and great colour, short lived, but stunning. It is not known as "The burning bush" for nothing. Tough as nails but responds (in my experience) slowly to pruning. A little difficult in the back budding department also but will readily sucker at the base.

There is a nice example of the spindle tree as bonsai at the Omiya Bonsai Village in Japan. I'll try find the photo if I took it while I was there, although no photos were allowed at the bonsai museum except a small area of trees so I may not have gotten one.

Cheers,
Pearcy.

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Found it. There is nothing for scale, it was big as you can see from the spindles on the ramified branches.

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Oh wow,Now I pray to the Bonsai gods for patience and the talent to get it there...wow I am blown away.Thanks for finding the pics Pearcy...and Bodhi... pink flowers as well what a bonus to a Burning Bush. C'mon Mother Nature give me some weather conducive to getting out into the potting shed so I can begin on "Nishi" - yep she has a name already.

Bodhi mentioned pink autumn colour. I would have said stunning red autumn colour as the burning bush name suggests. It is actually one of the strongest reds in our garden at its height in autumn.
Flowers are small, greenish and quite insignificant but followed by dangling pink fruit which split open to reveal bright red seeds.

These have also been slow to thicken and ramify here as well. Yours is already bigger than any I have so now all you need to do is grow some branches.

O.K Neil Reddish pink. This is one i am working on.

So the "wings" disappear with age it seems- and yes I knew it would be red "burning bush" Autumn colour Shibui but thought Bohdi meant flowers... if they are insignificant the rest makes up for it...I love that trunk Bohdi. Good to have a cool day today I am off into the garden 23 seems so lovely today after the last two 40 degree days.

Just to clarify Bodhi, I thought your euonymus was E. atropurpureus? which would account for the different autumn colour.
I can't find any photos of our E. alata in autumn but a web search will show the intense red colour it should develop.

'Wings' seem to be temporary on younger wood as you can see on the Japanese bonsai. Older branches and trunk are plain. This also occurs on Ulmus procera - English elm.

shibui wrote:Just to clarify Bodhi, I thought your euonymus was E. atropurpureus? which would account for the different autumn colour.
I can't find any photos of our E. alata in autumn but a web search will show the intense red colour it should develop.

Yes that is correct Shibui. but here is a photo of "Alata" and here in the Central highlands i get Pink. Go figure If you look to top left you will see the little fruits you were talking about.