Wrightia Religiosa Progression

[kvan64]

I traded my old JBP for this one and several smaller goodies. I think it's a good trade for me since I love wrightia religiosa (water jasmine) as bonsai and it's exemely hard to obtain them in Australia. This tree owed by a friend of mine who brought the seeds back from his trip to Vietnam 14 years ago. The tree was ground grown 13 years ago then potted in a huge pot about 6 years later and got neglected since. When I first saw it, it was about 2m high and heavily root-bound.
The chopping process took my uncle and I about 5 hrs. It was very tricky to untangle the roots and straighten/flatten them up. Some roots may need to be wired later on to keep them in place. I have not done any wiring yet as WR is very flexible and I can just wire them all when they back bud in the next couple months.
Any comment is welcome.

[Jamie]

very nice DK!

i cant remember if you told me or not but did you take many cuttings??? that looks like it had heaps of cutting material champ!

I like where this one is heading and i think the root spread on it is good for how long it has been neglected! i wouldnt stress to much about wiring them, the few that arent straight make it that little bit more natural and they are a little bit further away from the trunk and i dont see them being exposed later on possibly !

very nice man your getting some great stock up behind you

Jamie

[kvan64]

Thanks mate. The reason I wanted to wire these roots straight is that WR can fuse very quickly. Maybe even faster than figs or trident maples. I've seen the roots of my mate's WR that fused completely after only 2 root works (3 years now). I can see this one with a fused base in a couple years time. That's what I am trying to achieve mate. I have got a whole bunch of cutting from roots and branches lying on the lawn. It's been raining so I didn't bother doing anything with them yet. Will get them sorted out tomorrow

[Jamie]

ahh very interesting DK! now this will be interesting to watch, do you think you will need to wire them straight if it is going to be fused? do you think if you get them fusing that a little bit of movement in the roots would add interest in the final fused base?? i reckon it will look a treat champ

[thuynguyen001]

Hi DK,
I think its a good trade,too. Thats a very good spreading of roots. Nice trunk- perfect for a formal upright!
Correct me if i am wrong, is it the one they call " Mai chieu thuy" in Vietnam?

[kvan64]

Jamie, ummh I thought if they were straight, there would be more contact between the roots. However, natural looks is important too. Maybe a few natural movement here and there could be good. I'll probably take your suggestion and leave them for now.

Thuy, I think it is. I posted sometime ago in this forum asking for some names in Vietnamese as a friend of mine gave me a "Mai Vang", one "Mai tu qui" and a couple of "Mai chieu thuy" cuttings. I remember the answers were: Mai tu qui - Mickey mouse plant, Mai chieu thuy - water jasmine or Wrightia Religiosa and no one know what mai vang is.

[thuynguyen001]

I didn't know Mai tu qui is called Mickey mouse plant!
Maybe of their roundish shiny black seeds which look like Mickey mouses ears!?
BTW, Im looking forward to see how this tree going in the future,Dk!
( Especially when it is in full bloom!)

[craigw60]

Hi Kvan, I tend to disagree with Jamie on this one (that doesn't happen often) because the tree has a very straight trunk so the branches should also be straight, this tree should look like it grows in a rich fertile valley. There is a branch high up on the right side which should be shortened way back.
Craigw

[Jamie]

gday craig

may have mis read but i was talking about the roots, as DK wants to fuse the entire nebari i am thinking about the base not the branches. if there is a root here and there that has a little kink in it, when it fuse it will give it a more natural feel to the nebari

as for the branching i agree with ya, straight trunk, straight branches, only minimal angle down if any just from the weight of foliage

Jamie

[craigw60]

Sorry Jamie I did misread. a fused root system sounds great. I have seen these trees in sth east asian collections and they make great bonsai
Craigw

[Jamie]

Sorry Jamie I did misread. a fused root system sounds great. I have seen these trees in sth east asian collections and they make great bonsai
Craigw

cheers mate all good they do make great trees, the ones i have seen while browsing the net have all been preety damn good!

jamie

[kvan64]

Yes they are jamie. The website from the link you posted yesterday has some great WR bonsai. They look good when they are in blooms, leaves or even naked. They would fit in almost any style you could think of (may be not literati I guess).

[banksia]

It is a nice piece of material...great score. I've seen only a couple of shohin examples that a Vietnamese friend has ...they look beautiful in flower.
Not one for advice on this species. All I know is, it'll do well in your neck of the woods.
Keep us updated.
I have two, very small "Mickey Mouse" plants. They're botanical name is Ochna Serrulata. Very attractive in flower, however, takes a long time to decent girth.

Cheers!
Anthony

[kvan64]

just some updated pics.

[Loretta]

Hi Kvan,

Is the WR also known as Temple Bells?? I have two I have only known as temple bells, they are both about 15 years old. If they are the same plant, I find that the numerous shoots it throws from the exposed roots and trunk base are as prolific as the tree itself. How do you manage to keep them under control....I could go down and pull new ones off every day. They are a very high maintenance tree and I am constantly at them. I'm happy to post pics for you to see for verification if you like.
Cheers Loretta