Yamadori, can you dig it?

[TonyTickle]

There has recently been some 'heated' debates on the ethics of collecting trees, these are my thoughts, first published in Bonsai focus a few years ago.

My very first tree was a yamadori Oak collected by a neighbour and since then my whole bonsai life has been working with native European yamadori. The colossal importance of this is that it offered me the opportunity to create amazing trees without the expense of buying imported material. Had I had the land back then, I could have grown my own nursery stock; I was young enough when I started and those early plantings would be ready now to work. I did plant some young garden centre San José in a friend’s garden and after 18 years of annual trimming and shaping they developed a reasonable girth. Yet those San José lacked the character and dynamic aspect of the yamadori that I was collecting and the species were not the most suitable for bonsai.

Bonsai is an art form that encourages a deep connection with nature. The very first bonsai in China were wild trees from the mountains, collected to be grown and cared for by those who sought to be closer to nature. The cultivation of trees for bonsai is a relatively new innovation, arising from the simple fact that a regular supply of material is needed for the increasing number of enthusiasts throughout the world.

There are a number of issues cited by those people who don’t agree with the collecting of yamadori. "If we love nature so much that we put it on a pedestal, then why do we allow rape and pillage of nature?
Even the great Master, Mr Kunio Kobayashi stated*: “Yamadori trees offer the best character and age possible for material and it is an essential part of bonsai but it must be done in a responsible way. It is not an unlimited resource and we in Japan have very little new material now.”

If we break down what Master Kobayashi is saying into two key areas: ‘In a responsible way’ This covers a huge facet of yamadori. Permission to collect must always be sought, and so that valued specimens thrive, experience in collecting is essential. Collecting solely for financial gain must be discouraged and trees that will not make good bonsai must be left in nature. Adopting a ‘leave no trace’ attitude is essential, and seemingly small gestures such as planting a sapling to replace what has been lifted could reap long-term dividends in replacing removed material.

Consider his other statement - “not an unlimited resource”. Japan is one country where for many years artists searched the landscape so that they might return home with prized specimens. There were many professional yamadori collectors and it was a thriving business with many risking their lives in pursuit of the ‘perfect’ tree. In doing so, they were supporting a tradition of Bonsai that had been around for hundreds of years. Leap forward to Europe in 2016 and I would like to think that our collectors are more responsible and respectful of the environment. I know of a collector in Austria who has access to hundreds of thousands of pines yet only collects three or four a year. And fortunately the market for yamadori in Europe is not so large as to threaten the character of our landscape. There will always be rogue individuals who do not have high ideals and collect irresponsibly, but their actions must not taint the activity of those with deep rooted respect for Nature.

Using yamadori to create bonsai is, to some extent, a ‘short cut’ and in the scale of a human lifetime that is true. To create a mature deciduous image with good ramification, nebari and character still takes many years of considered growing, pruning and shaping. It’s simply not good enough to dig a tree, place it in a pot and present it as a mature “finished” specimen. It may well be old but a bonsai it most certainly is not.

Yamadori is one aspect of Bonsai that practitioners enjoy. Yet more fulfilling is to grow from seed, nurture the tree in the early years so that the eventual desired image is achieved. There is far more information available now and I encourage those younger artists to do this for the rewards and satisfaction are great. For those who are not so young yamadori offers that short cut.
And growing from seed, you will have to wait for the next issue to have my thoughts on this.

*Quotation from European Bonsai Forum

[shibui]

Ausbonsai has also had some spirited discussion on the ethics of collecting natural trees for bonsai.
After reading your post I still don't know whether you are for one side or the other or just sitting on the fence. I'm frightened of the possibilities that collecting native material for bonsai could open up here. I believe that our environment is far more fragile than most European areas. We have many threatened species that could be pushed to extinction if collecting natives is condoned or encouraged.
Sustainable collection is often proposed. The fishers told us they were sustainable but now many complain there's not enough fish to be viable. The hardwood industry thought the forests were sustainable but are now having problems finding suitable resource. How can anyone say collecting native yamadori is sustainable when we have no history or reference to work from.
Collecting yamadori takes the best, most inspirational trees out of the landscape. Where are bonsai enthusiasts to find inspiration if all the iconic natural bonsai have been dug and are hiding in private collections or worse, dead. I know that some trees that inspired me are now gone (dead) because of bonsai collection. Fortunately I was able to experience these trees and be inspired to grow a bonsai version from seedlings before they disappeared.

One interesting point of difference here in Australia is that we have plenty of introduced 'weeds' competing with our native vegetation - Ash, Hawthorn, Plums, Pinus radiata and olives are just a few in my area. Councils and Landcare groups are now poisoning these plants but does that make it ethical to collect them? What unforeseen issues might turn up when we start digging these weeds for bonsai?
We also have access to garden specimens that are no longer wanted or needed. I have some trees of great potential that have been obtained before garden renovations and recommend this avenue to all growers.

Collected yamadori bonsai sometimes turn out to be spectacular but the only really sustainable bonsai are those grown for the purpose

[Matt S]

OK, I'll wade in...

Shibui, I'm going to disagree with a few points you made, but obviously I respect your opinions and I'm not trying to antagonise.

In my local area the councils are rapidly poisoning the exotic species faster than good yamadori can be dug up. I see no issues with removing a tree before it is poisoned, provided the dug out area is treated properly before you leave.

I've never collected native species as it's illegal unless you have access to private land so I've never had to grapple with the morality of it. Thinking about it though, trees are a renewable resource and therefore it's possible to sustainably remove trees without threatening the viability of the species. Hard to find examples of this being done but it's not impossible. I agree that the Australian environment is fragile, but by far the biggest threat to natives is massive landclearing and competition with exotics. If there are areas where these are kept under control I don't see why occasional removal of trees for yamadori would be a problem.

Often the best yamadori where fairly uninspiring shrubs when they were in the wild. Tony's Noelanders trophy winning hawthorn is a good example, and I don't think removing it took away an inspirational example of the type of trees we try to emulate. Obviously this isn't always the case and we need to be thoughtful when choosing a tree to remove.

TLDR: collecting native trees needs to be done with enormous sensitivity, but it can be done sustainably.

Matt.