Ficus virens

[Ash]

Ficus virens virens.jpg

Here is a picture of a Ficus virens growing in a sand heap on the banks of the Daintree River. Most trees of this species are very tall strangler figs that started off high in another tree. This one seems to have either grown from ground level or from lower on another tree as it branches low down (compared to the others). Thats me for scale. Lots of aerial roots and wide spreading arching branches. The foliage reached the ground on all sides making it look like a large shrub from a distance. They were one of the common trees on this reach of the river and there were numerous large specimens.

[Steven]

Awesome Ash!
Would you classify it as broom style or clump
Regards,
Steven

[Ash]

Hmmm? I am not so good at the bonsai style classifications Steven. It does not have one central trunk therefore I would not call it a 'broom'. To me 'broom' is a 'handle' (=trunk) toped by a fan/tuft of branches all emerging from the one point. This Fig has the tuft of branches but not the trunk, but the trunk is replaced by roots. Outside of bonsai I would call it a banyan. So maybe we could add banyan to the bonsai vocabulary?

[bodhidharma]

How about Curtain style Nice shot Ash.