Ficus virens and red leaves

[Jerry Meislik]

Great suggestion on varying the pots to achieve more interesting root structures.
Also to get better nebari or surface rootage I often score the roots and basal trunk and then put long fibered sphagnum moss around these gouges an cover with aluminum foil or plastic to keep the moss moist. New roots grow out and into the sphagnum and then into the soil.
Jerry

[Ash]

G'Day Guys,
Just for interest- some photos
This is a Ficus virens subspecies virens growing at the Paxton Street end of Queens Gardens here. It shows the typical aerial roots that this subspecies forms.
cheers
Ashley

[Japh]

Wow, that looks incredible! Maybe I'll have to ... no! somebody stop me before I have one of EVERY plant on my deck!!

[Pup]

Wow, that looks incredible! Maybe I'll have to ... no! somebody stop me before I have one of EVERY plant on my deck!!

Japh unless you have a hot house on your deck forget Ficus species. Now Jerry might Jump on me for that Pup

[Japh]

Japh unless you have a hot house on your deck forget Ficus species. Now Jerry might Jump on me for that Pup

It could be arranged, while the wife wasn't looking of course...

[Ash]

Hi again,
This photo was taken about five years ago at a BBQ at home with beer in hand, it is a Ficus virens subsp. sublanceolata as bonsai. I collected this tree in January 1996 and the base and trunk have not changed much since then and it is still in the same pot (has been for 14 years with an annual repot). The branches were regrown after it was collected, and I am about to regrow them again to produce a more fig tree like shape.
regards
Ash

[pasquale]

Hi Pasquale,
Are you referring to aerial roots or buttress roots?

Hi Steve, good question. In general I think of buttress roots as arising from low down on the trunk and stabilising the trunk. Can an aerial root then be a buttress root? I think so.
The arial roots that grow on my virens (which, by the way appear to be a similar subspecies as Ashley's) arise from up and down the trunk. The ones lower down then become buttress like, particularly (as you say) if given a long shallow run.
The aerial roots of virens are different to those on rubiginosa. Whilst the latter have the dangly, stringy look, the virens roots tend to be stiffer and hold their form better. I guess that is how you end up with the strong banyan style seen in Ash's photo or in the curtain fig. I haven't noticed much in the way of aerial roots on park grown virens in Sydney.
As to how to encourage 'buttress' roots on other figs. In, my limited experience I have found rubiginosa grown in wide shallow pots begin to take on the look. I also wonder if the root wrap technique described by Grant Bowie viewtopic.php?f=104&t=2346would give the desired effect if you used a wide shallow cone. This is similar to the technique that Jerry describes for developing a banyan style.

[sreeve]

Hi Pasquale,
Thanks for responding.
I was interpreting Buttress roots as roots which essentially grow out horizontally from the trunk like big struts

I am not sure if they are special roots (as some references imply), or whether they are simply normal roots which are forced to run a long way for moisture and nutrient. Subsequently find that nutrient and literally pump so much back to the tree that they grow at a super fast rate.
If that hypothesis were correct, then why do fig buttresses grow vertically whereas all other tree roots grow thicker and primarily horizontally

The only way I can think of growing them is similar to what you mentioned in a long flat shallow pot.....but......the only problem is how big.....
There is a great example locally which has buttress roots extending about 20m away from the 2m diameter tree.
On a proportional basis I would need a pot at least 1.5m in diameter for a fig approx 100mm in diameter !!!!

Maybe Jerry has some ideas on how to promote / trick the “buttress” roots to grow….

Regards
Steve

[Jerry Meislik]

Ashley,
Absolutely incredible shot of that Virens. Excuse my ignorance but in what city are the Queens gardens ?
I also like your F. virens. I might be presumptuous but you might get more sub-branching by defoliation of your tree once or twice each year. But if you are going to re-grow all the branches that would be a waste of your time.
Japh, to show my ignorance is Tasmania too cool for Ficus? Right now it is snowing outside my windows but the plants in the plant room don’t notice it.
Steve, I am not sure that all Ficus will have vertical buttresses. I have seen evidence in botanical gardens where one tree shows vertical buttress but the same species a few feet away has flattish roots. I suspect that it is a genetic factor more than environment. They are quite incredible when they do occur.
I think you can get great buttressing(maybe not the vertical kind) by 1. using my sphagnum moss method mentioned above or by 2. grafting young trees to the base of the tree or 3. by fusing in aerial roots to the trunk and laying the lowest part of the root on the surface before diving it into the soil.
Jerry

[Grant Bowie]

Hi Pasquale,
Are you referring to aerial roots or buttress roots?

Hi Steve, good question. In general I think of buttress roots as arising from low down on the trunk and stabilising the trunk. Can an aerial root then be a buttress root? I think so.
The arial roots that grow on my virens (which, by the way appear to be a similar subspecies as Ashley's) arise from up and down the trunk. The ones lower down then become buttress like, particularly (as you say) if given a long shallow run.
The aerial roots of virens are different to those on rubiginosa. Whilst the latter have the dangly, stringy look, the virens roots tend to be stiffer and hold their form better. I guess that is how you end up with the strong banyan style seen in Ash's photo or in the curtain fig. I haven't noticed much in the way of aerial roots on park grown virens in Sydney.
As to how to encourage 'buttress' roots on other figs. In, my limited experience I have found rubiginosa grown in wide shallow pots begin to take on the look. I also wonder if the root wrap technique described by Grant Bowie viewtopic.php?f=104&t=2346would give the desired effect if you used a wide shallow cone. This is similar to the technique that Jerry describes for developing a banyan style.

The root wrap technique was first developed by Max Candy of Sydney on Figs but it would give a more tree like look than a fig look. Attached is a fig by Max using aerial roots to make a thicker looking trunk.

Max Candy's PJF Bonsai on display 2005..jpg

[Ash]

G'Day Jerry,

Queens Gardens is in Townsville Queensland, nice little old style botanical gardens if you are ever over here again but Ido think that the fig in the photo is a bit too big to dig up for bonsai nowadays.

Yes I think that regular defoliation would help this tree a lot (and some buttress work!) and I think that the species is strong enough to handle both. When I first wired this tree I was a relative newby to bonsai and did the 'one trunk up, one branch left, one branch back, one branch right, wire them all down' thing which is quite funny to see in F. virens which usually branches out from one point.

Grant I think that the roots on the Candy fig in the photo are superb. Fig trees rule.

cheers
Ash

[Jerry Meislik]

Grant,
Very, very nice tree by Max Candy and illustrating the wrap technique which I missed when you described it before. Very elegant way to achieve a more massive basal trunk.
I learn stuff every day.
Thanks for bringing my attention to it.
Ashley,
Thanks for the location of that massive fig. One day when I am back it must be on my visit list.
Jerry

[head_cutter]

Hello all,
Just found this board while looking for some ficus info and---this seems to be the place to ask. I'm a Bonsai Yank, living in Vietnam and continuing with the sport. While I have several trees I've aquired in the past few years, which I am patiently working, I have a new one which has my attention but can not find out what it is.

While I do know it's a ficus, it's a little confounding in habit. At first I thought it was a common ficus b it's not. I will try to post a few pics but don't know the forum yet.

The mature leaves are much like ficus benj. but a little more broad in shape, same color and viening with no pronounced viens. The trunk color is about the same as ficus benj. branching etc. But...I began working the tree--un-potting, root cutting, branch cutting, defoliating, wiring--all of that and the tree retaliated by waking up and pushing new growth all over. When the new leaves open they are slightly mis-shapen and 'wrinkled', the fresh green turns to a bronze/brass/copper color and stays that way until they are about a week or two old. No problem there, the tree is healthy, happily putting out new roots in the tub of water it's growing in (now) and doing well.

I'm just curious (and, yes have done some searching on the web) any ideas what I've got my hands on? I don't think it's virens because the leaf is much different. Thanks in advance.

Bob

[Pup]

Gday mate. I must admit to being a bit put of by that name. Especially from Vietnam. That said Bob I think you would be better to PM Jerry for more info on Ficus from Asia. You have something that he specialises in.
We have a guy here that is also into Ficus not sure if he is a member of this site though.
His name is Leong Kwong, he as also written a book on Ficus for the temperate Zones. I have lent my copy of Jerry's to a friend and I cannot remember the title.
It is worth buying as is Leong's if you want information.
I would not hazard a guess as for info on that name. I hope this is of some help.

Pup

[head_cutter]

Ok Pup thanks. I know Jerry but figured I try a little closer to home. It's not something that I 'must' know but I'm a little curious because it's so different.
Thanks again, Bob