AusBonsai

I have these growing in my neighborhood's common areas, and volunteers keep popping up in my yard left and right. It seems to be suitable for bonsai, but I can't tell what it is. My local nurseryman has no idea, either.

cotoneaster.

What variety of cotoneaster do you think it might be? Its berries are unlike any of the cotoneaster I've seen.

michaelj wrote:What variety of cotoneaster do you think it might be? Its berries are unlike any of the cotoneaster I've seen.

Hi Michealj , mate were in Aus and your from the States the plant varieties are worlds apart as are the growing conditions .If its unusual to you then you may need to do a google search of the varieties you grow over there .

Some of the species in my area have red and yellow berries , some have small hard leaves others have soft larger leaves some are , colours in flowers range from red , white , pink and purple .

To truely identify any plant you need all these variants and that will usually give a positive I.D .

Cheers Ian

I too thought Cotoneaster but the berries put me off as well.

Then I did a quick google image search and I'm near on convinced this is some sort of Cotoneaster.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=coto ... =684&dpr=2

Can't say I've seen the drooping berry type but they are prolific in google!

Large-leaf cotoneaster (Cotoneaster glaucophyllus) http://vro.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosi ... large_leaf

I agree its a (Cotoneaster glaucophyllus) or gray cotoneaster .
I have one i have been trainning for one year from an air layer
Those berrys will turn bright red. I like the species and it should be trained with its berry display in mind.
I will post a pic soon.

This one is also a weed around here. Birds eat the berries and spread the seeds. Lots of them come up in the bush around town and I constantly have to pull them out of the gardens I look after. I have not seen any I'd collect. A bit coarse for good bonsai but if that's waht you have to work with then go for it.

I attached another photo of the hedge. I have big hands, and as you can see, the leaves on this thing are fairly big.

I agree with Neil that they are a little course but do look OK as larger bonsai. The leaf size does reduce with the usual methods over time. Like all bonsai the harder you work at refining them the luckier you get with their results.
The attached photo is of one of mine and it is a shohin so many things are possible.

Nice little tree watto

I'm struggling how to style my one I'm thinking of making it cascade from the top of the trunk.
How does yours respond after root prunning?

I know it is a long way off but I'm thinking of something along these lines.

Root pruning no problem - just like any other bonsai.
Good luck with the big cascade.