Broom style or Literati?

[Raging Bull]

Not long ago I aquired this willow leaf fig, finding it attractive and giving me the chance to work with something a little more advanced than my other trees. But now I'm in a quandary and wonder if someone can give me advice. I thought of making it into a broom style or literati, but neither now seem right or approriate for this little tree, it's about 30 cm high. So I'm putting it out here to see if anyone has any styling suggestions for it. Thank you in advance. Cheers, Frank.

[shibui]

It would be difficult to make a traditional broom style from this Frank. Broom is the formal upright of deciduous trees. They are supposed to have a vertical trunk with good radial nebari with branches rising into an umbrella shaped canopy. This bendy trunk is not broom material and it would be a shame to straighten out those great bends.
You could try for literati but I'm not sure whether a fig would look all that good with just a few whispy branches.
Maybe something part way between literati and informal upright? Less branches than informal upright would normally have but more foliage than literati - There's no rules that say your bonsai must be distinctly one style or another and many styles grade into the next leaving grey areas of what is it really?
I would seriously consider removing one of those branches because they all come from the same place which will eventually lead to thickening at that spot - not a good look.

I don't grow willow leaf fig but I expect they will bud on bare wood. If so maybe shorten the larger left branch to get new buds and build a branch from those. Larger right branch would become the apex I think.

[MJL]

Hi Frank,

I see your quandary. You might be interested in this blog on the species. http://www.bonsaihunk.us/public_html/?t ... w-leaf-fig.

Here's a left field idea. Cascade/Semi Cascade - rotating either of the top two photos 90 degrees right. And yes, I did just tilt my laptop.

Or as is ... removing one of the three branches... I've got a feeling that removing the one on the right of the first photo (which may be the one on the left of the second photo would improve taper and simultaneously remove the cross over on the 3rd photo...

Or - I think these trees my bend quite well - so wire away...

... but it truth hard for me to say .... I reckon go with your gut; stick to it and be proud of whatever you try; succeed or not, you learn.

Did I help... probably not...perhaps I just confused you even more. If so, sorry!

And remember .... I ain't no expert here. So my ideas are just ...ideas.

Thanks for posting. It's and interesting tree and will be good to se what other ideas follow too.

(PS - here is a link to a video of various cascading ficus... may not be so left-field after all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smpNj73eOzY )

[Raging Bull]

Thank you for your ideas shibui and MJL. All good food for thought. I'm sorry, as is so often the case the photos don't show the entire situation. Shibui, the three branches do not originate from the same spot. In pic one the left and centre branches are 2 cms apart, but because the centre one is behind the left it looks like coming from the same place.
MJL, the "crossover" in pic 3 is because it is a view from the 90 degree left side.
I will shorten the left branch to reduce its dominance and let the tree establish over summer, as I think it may have been repotted not long before I bought it. Then I will perhaps repot it, leaning it into a semi-cascade.
Thanks again for your help.
Cheers, Frank.

[melbrackstone]

Hi Frank

WIllow leaf figs grow way too strongly for literati, I fear. You'll spend the rest of your life trying to keep the foliage looking sparse enough.

I'd probably try to compress the whole tree and trunk...cos you'd still be able to do that with the sizes of trunk and branches you have....meanwhile check the net for shapes of willow leaf fig you like....and don't need to spend hours each week keeping it under control. They generally do back bud very well, so any chopping you do will reward you with new growth just about everywhere...

[Raging Bull]

Thanks Mel, another option in my arsenal for when I take on this tree. Cheers, Frank.