AusBonsai

Hi all,



This is something I've been pondering a bit as of lately. What exactly does a mature old Ficus look like? I know there's the banyan look, but other than that I'm rather lost. I see Ficus styled like pines all the time, and I like that look, but it appears that most do not like that look. So, other than the banyan kind of look, what kind of appearance do they take on? Thanks for any insight!

Hi Ryan,

Hope you are well and the recovery is on track !

I too have often thought about this, although it might be a little hard to try to quantify fig trees in nature and translate that into Bonsai styles. I am sure that if we search far and wide that we will come across figs in the wild that take in every shape imaginable. Being a Fig lover myself, I am always on the lookout for them.

But to add to the topic mate, I often see figs that are reminicent of informal brooms, I have seen some that remind me of clump style bonsais, figs growing out of cracks on a wall or rockface that remind me of semi cascade and cascade bonsai.

Someone mentioned too me elsewhere in a discussion on 'Tanuki', if one was to create a strangler fig, rather than put it onto a piece of deadwood, how about get it wrapped around a live tree and that way its representitive of the fig taking over the host tree in an early stage. That piqued my interest and it is something I want to give a go come summer.

Be interesting to hear what others have to say.

Cheers

David

EDIT: grammar

I think of a mature fig as a broom Style almost.
short powerful trunk ( not a Sumo) and wide rounded canopy.

Ken

Thanks for the comments so far gentlemen. I'm feeling better than ever

Those are styles I didn't even think of, the strangler kind of wrapped around a rock, and broom style. Good thinking guys.

What I'm really wondering is how to take a tree like this: And make it something you'd see in nature. Cause as of this point, I'm not thinking that's going to resemble a tree in nature. Not saying I'm going to dislike what it will become, as I like it currently, but I'm just not sure if it's going to be natural...

Ryan,

that is a nice bit of material to have your hands on, it has already an appealing base. I can already envisage a wonderful old natural looking fig tree, given time. Here is a photo of a Fig tree from the Domain in Sydney, the base on yours has the potential for something like this.
Every grand tree has its humble beginnings and I do genuinely think your tree has the potential for something like this.

Cheers

David

DavidWilloughby wrote:Ryan,

that is a nice bit of material to have your hands on, it has already an appealing base. I can already envisage a wonderful old natural looking fig tree, given time. Here is a photo of a Fig tree from the Domain in Sydney, the base on yours has the potential for something like this.

AnideaforRyan.gif

Every grand tree has its humble beginnings and I do genuinely think your tree has the potential for something like this.

Cheers

David

Thanks David! That tree has a beautiful spreading canopy, but I'm just not sure if it would fit this tree with the lean it's got....

given some age and size to the truck above your trunk it can.
Many an old fig has a slanting lower trunk section then a spreading upper canopy

Thinks and old tree grown next to a river and it has 1/2 fallen over then grown normally above.

Ken

Ok. This thread has given me an excuse to post photos of the figs round here whenever I'm out and about. Will update this thread everytime I have some new photos from my neighbourhood.

Went to a beach right near Port Jackson itself yesterday. Here's two different trees.

Out this morning with the boy and saw this Morten Bay. Same tree one shot from further away.

Another one. Root over rock. Well, wall.

Thanks for the pictures! Wish Ficus grew in the wild where I live

I just wish I could understand how to wire the branches on my Ficus when it comes that time. From pictures I've seen, mature Ficus, like in the pictures you all posted, have branches that tend to bend upward, in the broom kind of style. Hmmmm

They usually start heading up, then as they get longer and heavier, the branch gets bent down in an arc and then the foliage tips start to move back up

Quite long and graceful curves to the lowere branches , then they get more upright as the move up the tree and get shorter

Ken

kcpoole wrote:They usually start heading up, then as they get longer and heavier, the branch gets bent down in an arc and then the foliage tips start to move back up

That there is an excellent description

Another one I saw at Taronga Zoo today. Now that's a nebari.

DustyRusty wrote:

kcpoole wrote:They usually start heading up, then as they get longer and heavier, the branch gets bent down in an arc and then the foliage tips start to move back up

That there is an excellent description

thanks
there is a greet tree near my home in a park that illustrates the earlier form I described.

Took some photos today for you all
The suburb is about 30 years old, so maybe the tree will be about that age too? The branches have not yet started to sag that much, but suspect another 20 years might start them

Ken