what is this - nice flower

[jessepap]

Hi all

I was gifted this bonsai and i am unsure what it is - i am sure its something pretty obvious but a quick google didn't help me much.

this is how it has come so it has had a style and has some wire on it - any thoughts on the current look and future of this plant?

Thanks

[juan73870]

Grewia occidentalis
Otherwise known as the lavender star

[Raging Bull]

The weed growing at the base is bad news. It looks like star weed. If you leave it to grow it will spread to all your other pots, it's very invasive and once established very hard to get rid of.

[Matt S]

The secretary of our club has a really nice example of this as a cascade which shows off the flowers nicely. The trunk can be slow to thicken but a style with long branches would suit because you want the flowers to be front and centre. As always, plant it in a bigger pot if you want to thicken it up.

[jessepap]

The weed growing at the base is bad news. It looks like star weed. If you leave it to grow it will spread to all your other pots, it's very invasive and once established very hard to get rid of.

The first thing my wife said when she saw it was 'oh i like the moss'. ha! I didn't realise it was an invasive weed so thank you for the tip.

[terryb]

The weed growing at the base is bad news. It looks like star weed. If you leave it to grow it will spread to all your other pots, it's very invasive and once established very hard to get rid of.

Can someone give me the genus and species name for the "star weed" referred to here please. A google search comes up with a number of different plants

[jessepap]

it is a 'nice' looking weed i will add.