Mountain Beauty

[hard1all]

I understand that 'Mountain Beauty' is a 'sport' of cedrus deodara and was discovered in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney?

I acquired mine a couple of years ago. It was growing in the usual black plastic pot and had been left unwired and mostly unshaped. Now I know why. If you try and wire these branches they usually fall off into your hands. I was lucky enough to have someone far more expert than I to assist with wiring and shaping. This year it will be going into a more suitable pot. I know it's not a great bonsai but I just love it.

I thought I would start this post so those of us with 'Mountain Beauty' can share the images of our trees and where those with more knowledge and expertise with this variety can pass it on.

All contributions will be gratefully received.

[Edward Scissorhand]

Sorry I cant help you much. I like your tree a lot , its got very nice old bark. Is it grafted or air layered? How old is it? I have a young one that I've had for about a decade from a small grafted nursery stock in a 20cm black pot. I haven't shaped mine or anything like that. I'm growing it on and putting them in bigger pots. I've only guided my branches loosely. Is that crackle pot a chinese antique?

[Reece]

Cool tree. Would like to know more about them too....

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[Daluke]

I love this tree. I think the Himalayan Cedar gets overlooked in favour of Atlantic Cedar in Victoria.

I've got two younger ones I'm working on at the minute. I've found they don't bud back on old wood, but do throw new buds at the base of old or cut needles.

They are pretty flexible - it seems that when wiring you need to let it really bite in which happens real quick? The bark swells quickly when wired.

Do you have any other photos of your tree?

[hard1all]

I've been told that 'Mountain Beauty' was first identified as a 'sport' growing on a c. deodara by a man living in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. He propagated the sport and it quickly became popular for bonsai.

Koreshoff's Bonsai Nursery had 'Mountain Beauty' from the early 1980's and it is believed that this is the origin of my tree.

The estimated age of my tree is 55 years. Interestingly, what appears to be yellow paint on the trunk is in fact lichen.

And, the crackle pot it is now in is a cheap copy of the Chinese original. It is going into the better quality copy of a Chinese antique pot in a month or two.

[Daluke]

Interesting pot choice. Have you thought about using a earth coloured clay pot?

[GavinG]

A couple more "Mountain Beauties" - there was a fad for them in the 1980s until people realised they were touchy. No-one told me, so mine are OK. Well alright, they've both had metre-long trunks that have died back when I tried to reduce the root ball, but what the hell. They've survived me. Both have natural sharis where large branches have been cut off, that have naturally bleached - I guess this is what happens in the wild in Japan, which is why the lime-sulphur whitening looks "natural" to them.

No.1:

P1050872.jpg

It's headed for a big chop this winter - two choices.

No. 1 choice - the Teatowel of Doom!! It loses about 75% of foliage. I'd probably do it in two or three stages.

P1050874.jpg

It's hard to see now, but there is a nice curving-back trunk line hidden in there - the straight trunks would all go.

P1050875.jpg

This is choice 2 - less radical, but maybe less interesting:

P1050877.jpg

Unfortunately, I'll have to decide between two quite good alternatives some time this winter. I'm still not sure.

No.2 Mountain Beauty - it was a lot longer, and a lot straighter before it died back:

P1050879.jpg

When I repot it, it will probably go to this angle:

P1050880.jpg

Gavin

[Reece]

Love these Gavin. Option 1 does look good!

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[Reece]

I wonder when the deodaras were planted in the blue mountains?

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