Alien Bonsai or Just Some Unusual Tropical Trees? 3/18/17

Richard-R.-Gomez-forest-AA-Kalyos-streblus-asperI've never seen a bonsai quite like this. It would be unusual even without that long joining root and those stubby trees in the back. With these almost alien features, it stands alone as an one-of-a-kind bonsai. It is also the only photo in this group (from bonsai4me) to give the artist's name (Richard R Gomez) and the type tree (Strebulus asper).

Yesterday I woke up in Vermont. Today it’s Colorado. I could call it a vacation, but here I am working again. I’ll make it easy on myself though, by resurrecting a post from August, 2015 (Stumbling Upon Some Strange & Wonderful Bonsai After Six Plus Years of Blissful Ignorance).

The original was lifted from our friend Harry Harrington. You can visit Harry’s bonsai4me gallery if you want to fill in some details. While talking about Harry, I’d like to encourage to you consider owning Harry’s Foundations of Bonsai, a unique book, with lot of useful information and photos you won’t find anywhere else.

 

Continued below…

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Philippine bonsai show (38)The shape and deadwood are a lot like what you see on a lot of contemporary temperate zone bonsai. But I'm pretty sure it's a tropical tree (the southern tip of the Philippines is just a little north of the equator). The same goes for the other trees shown here.

In addition to the photos, the following text is lifted from bonsai4me:
“The KPSB 2013 ‘Bonsai and Suiseki Exhibit and Competition’ was held March 2013 at SM City – Masinag in Antipolo City, Philippines. My express thanks go to Nolan Sison of the KPSB for allowing me to use these images. KPSB is the Association of Filipinos in the Art of Bonsa. Their parent club is the PBSI – Philippine Bonsai Society, Inc.”

 

Philippine bonsai show (30)

Here's another one that reminds me of a temperate zone tree. If it weren't for the leaves, you might think it's a particularly wild Rocky mountain juniper.

 

Philippine bonsai show (12)Strange and wonderful both apply here. And there's a story embedded in the trunk's swirls and holes.

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Philippine bonsai show (9)

Aha. A tree I think I can identify. It's got to be a Ficus.

 

Philippine bonsai show (5)

Strange, wonderful and unique. This rugged two headed mountain monster is most definitely a one-of-a-kind bonsai.

bonsai show HD (6)

A simple tree growing out of an old half-decayed (and carved) stump.

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bonsai show HD (4)

This rugged little tree with its earthy free-form pot, is not too strange, but certainly unique.

Philippine bonsai show (35)

Okay, you like strange bonsai? How about funny and maybe just a little scary bonsai? We'll let you project your own monsters.

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