AusBonsai

i got the go ahead yesterday to dig this variegated umbrella tree out of my old girls garden, i'm not usually a fan of umbrellas but this one has quite a nice trunk and this variety has quite a small leaf in comparison to others. it did have quite a few heavy branches that you will notice but i havn't pruned these right back yet because i didn't have any sealant with me but with some careful carving work i should be able to improve on the quite a bit and then over time i will encourage more aerial roots to cover any major wounds. i think this could make a reasonably nice tree! what do you think...???

two weeks ago i would have laughed and said its as much a bonsai as a jade tree i hated them but i visited a guy james who is a member of the club on the coast and his blew my mind you have to see it i would bet my life its austtralias best so yes they do have huge potential and i was narrow minded this tree i recon would look good styled like a banyan fig similar too shannons big low canopy no pads just big spread in a big thin oval nice fare on it two

Umbrella tree definitely. Variegates is usually not good with bonsai It has been stated and I tend to agree. An exception I have found is the speckled variegation like the spring variegated elm. This looks speckled to me but I am still unsure. Maybe worth a try. At the least it will make a great veranda tree for some one

dayne wrote:two weeks ago i would have laughed and said its as much a bonsai as a jade tree i hated them but i visited a guy james who is a member of the club on the coast and his blew my mind you have to see it i would bet my life its austtralias best so yes they do have huge potential and i was narrow minded this tree i recon would look good styled like a banyan fig similar too shannons big low canopy no pads just big spread in a big thin oval nice fare on it two

Well how about getting a picture,so we can all see.

cheers mate thats interesting to find out! i have never attempted an umbrella, can u elaborate a bit more as to why the variegated type don't bonsai well. if i can get a relatively compact dome shaped canopy i will be happy enough with this tree, it's not a tree i am to concerned about really because i think at the best of times they dont lend them self to well to bonsai, of course there is some nice examples umbrellas but i'm talking more about there growth habits. however it's something i am going to have a lot of fun playing with and hopefully i can prove myself wrong lol. cheers mate

i went to his house and didnt take a camera im planing on another trip and getting plenty

dayne wrote:two weeks ago i would have laughed and said its as much a bonsai as a jade tree i hated them but i visited a guy james who is a member of the club on the coast and his blew my mind you have to see it i would bet my life its austtralias best so yes they do have huge potential and i was narrow minded this tree i recon would look good styled like a banyan fig similar too shannons big low canopy no pads just big spread in a big thin oval nice fare on it two

yeah that was pretty much my opinion of them mate but i am determined to change that, and thats exactly the style i had in mind, that big low spreading canopy you mentioned and for the record i felt the same way about jade aswell but roger lunt that owns 'the defined garden' bonsai nursery at chevron island on the gold coast has a couple of stunning examples in his private collection that i think would change your opinion like it did mine, he has a massive cascade jade that is jaw dropping!

I have heard the Varigated Acer negundo (box elder maple) described as the ugliest tree that has ever lived
Anyway I think the edge varigation in bonsai form distracts from the illusion that we try to create.
I have never seen a good edge varigated bonsai. If I do maybe my opinion will change

I showed an umbrella tree on here the other day!

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2815&p=29974&hilit= ... ree#p29974

thats right, yours is sweet too

you should both check these guys out, i reckon super humid is the key...

http://www.fukubonsai.com/

be sure to feel around this site as there are some excellent examples

aaron_tas wrote:thats right, yours is sweet too

you should both check these guys out, i reckon super humid is the key...

http://www.fukubonsai.com/

be sure to feel around this site as there are some excellent examples

yeah youre spot on mate these trees thrive in the humidity!! i have cut down and poisoned hundreds of these things, alot actually would have made amazing stock but i completely disregarded them at the time and am still somewhat of a sceptic, but if i am successful enough with this one, i'm going digging and the council would be more than happy to have them removed!! looking a bit closer at some pics of some nicer examples, i noticed that that umbrella shape (not referring to the tree) is quite achievable but as i have always noticed decent ramification is a different story! but i'm starting to wonder whether they are worth digging for some of the stumps alone, i mean if you seen some of the ones i have poisoned it would draw a tear to your eye lol.
i am looking forward to seeing what is achievable with this tree cheers for the feedback guys

Bretts wrote:viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2815&p=29974&hilit= ... ree#p29974

nice little stump mate!! makes me a bit more optimistic