The Art of Bonsai

Category: Twists and Turns, shaping trunks

  • Identifying a fig’s proper name

    One of the real difficulties that I deal with every day is how to identify a fig in someone’s collection. Simply put this is frequently a very difficult task. There are many plant characteristics that botanists use to ID a plant. One of the really important characteristics would be  the syconia or figs of that plant.…

  • Ficus ‘Green Island’, cultivar names

    Ficus ‘Green Island’ is one of the cultivars of Ficus microcarpa. Its main distinguishing characteristics are thick, rubbery leaves that are nearly round. This round leaf character is not unique to ‘Green Island’ but can be found in seedling Ficus microcarpa. I have one seedling with very round leaves that is not ‘Green Island’ since it…

  • Ficus natalensis exposed root style

    Ficus natalensis is one of my favorite species for bonsai. It has many characteristics making it suitable for bonsai. One, of these is how easily it is grown from root cuttings. The images show one of mine that is only 2 years from a root cutting.

  • Ficus ‘Mexicana’

    The scientific name for this plant is unknown. I am calling it Ficus ‘Mexicana’ since the plant originated in Mexico. Mexican has many similarities to the Willow Leaf fig, Ficus salicaria, but it has much larger leaves. The plant responds very well to bonsai culture and should be a welcome addition to the bonsai world.  

  • Ficus ‘Exotica’

    Ficus ‘Exotica’ is a fig found in the bonsai trade but its real scientific name is unknown. It has many characteristics in common with Willow Leaf fig, Ficus salicaria. Exotica has a more robust growth with wider leaves but it is a strong grower and can shape very pretty bonsai in not too many years…

  • Adding smaller leaves to a bonsai

    My friend Tim Hoehn-Boydston has an extensive collection of Ficus trees. One that he has in his collection is Ficus benghalensis. He has two forms, one with normal large leaves and the other with much smaller leaves. Tim decided to graft the smaller leaf form into the large trunk of the larger leaf variety. This would…

  • Beefing up a branch

    If a bonsai needs to have a heavier branch than it must be allowed to grow faster than the other branches. Thickening will occur in direct proportion to the number of leaves photosynthesizing on the branch. Keep more leaves to produce more energy and more growth to thicken the branch. After the branch has enough thickness…

  • Using a plastic bag

    There are several instances in which I use a plastic bag to protect a fig bonsai. For rooting cuttings Stressed trees that need time to recover Recently re-potted trees that have been struggling To develop aerial roots on figs that require constant humidity for aerial   In this case this Ficus rumphii has had all its…

  • My visit to Suanphung, an incredible bonsai garden

          This was our fourth or fifth visit to Thailand which ranks high on our list of the most wonderful countries to visit. The country is beautiful and the people are all so very warm and hospitable. Of course we love Thai food and also the wide range of fresh tropical fruits and…

  • Ficus burtt-davyi

    Ficus burtt-davyi is a fig that is found in the southern parts of Africa. There are several common variants of this material available to the bonsai community. There are large, medium and small leaf cultivars that can be found. This is one of the small leaf cultivars. It is a very small plant of perhaps 3-4…