The Art of Bonsai

Tag: leaves

  • Ficus rumphii

    A very worthwhile fig to grow is Ficus rumphii. It is used extensively in southeast Asia for bonsai. The pictures show two rumphii that I grew from seed and that are now 12 years old. The bark on this species is light  in color as contrasted to religiosa which has a darker grey bark. Religiosa…

  • Ficus with rounder leaves

    Ficus show lots of natural variations when grown from seed. Leaf shape, leaf size, bark color, vigor etc. can vary greatly from one seedling to the next. This can even occur with seed harvested from the same mother tree. Here is one of many Ficus virens that I have grown from seed. This individual has…

  • Identifying a Ficus by using the leaves

    Fig leaves are very variable from species to species. This is helpful in trying to identify a fig as belonging to a certain species. The problem is that the leaves on even a single plant can show great variation depending upon cultural conditions of light, moisture, growth in a container, wind, etc. As an example…

  • How to work with a large leaf bonsai

    Utilizing large leaf plants for bonsai is difficult. There are various techniques to deal with plants that have large leaves, like Ficus benghalensis. The first shot shows the tree with its various sized leaves. These are large but already reduced just by being grown in a small container. The second shot shows the tree in…

  • Ficus rumphii, a rare bonsai subject

    This is a Ficus rumphii, an unusual and rare bonsai subject in the west. This specimen is about 8 years old and seed grown. Leaves are large but reduce with defoliation. There is some random branch die back suggesting that this may not make the best bonsai subject. The bark is a rather stark whitish…

  • Ficus ingens, Red Leaved Fig

    Ficus ingens is a fig found in Africa and it is often growing over rocks and is thus called a “rock-splitter”. The leaves are moderately large with a wavy edge and prominent yellowish veins. Its main attraction are the new leaves which come out varying shades of red. The spring flush is a very attractive growth with the…

  • Ficus infectoria or is it Ficus virens

    Ficus infectoria is an invalid name, according to the botanists, and should technically be called Ficus virens. This material shows a coarser grower than some of my other virens. It seems to be quite happy in container culture with no special needs. This bonsai is actually 3 or 4 root fused trees that were grown from seed.…

  • Fig leaves

    Ficus or figs are in a large family of plants showing many interesting and varied characteristics. One of the most interesting aspects of various figs is the leaf. Leaves can be large, smooth or hairy, glossy or dull and have many, many other variations. The photo below shows some fig leaves and their variation. The…