One of the famous old ’Chabo-hiba’Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa, Chabo-hiba) at Boston’s Arnold Arboretum. This one was dates back to 1787 and it looks like it’s still in the original pot.
Snapshot in time
The Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection (the first bonsai collection in North America that is still living), resides in Boston at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. Aside from the fact that it’s very old and the trees (some of them, at least) are still alive, this collection represents something quite unique; a living snapshot of Japanese bonsai from 100 years ago. Well almost; nothing living is static and the trees shown here are no exception. Over time, they continued to grown and mature and were pruned and repotted by a long line of curators. Still, as far as I know, no major restyling has taken place since the collection arrived in Boston in 1913, and much of the original look and feel of the trees remains from that time.
The Remarkable Journey of the Oldest Bonsai in America
If you’d like to dig into the history of the Larz Andersen collection, I heartily recommend this excellent article by Peter Del Tredici, former curator of the collection. You could also check out this Bonsai Bark post from last year, or, best of all, you could visit the Arnold Arboretum. It’s a trip worth making for anyone who loves trees, large or small.
Another old ’Chabo-hiba’Hinoki cypress in a well-chosen modern pot. Some of the pots have survived to this day, but many were lost due to freezing.
Japanese maple cultivar in fall color (though I like the choice of pots on the other trees shown here, I’m not so sure about this one).
Japanese white pine.
A piece of one of the original Hinokis that was saved after an uninvited split in the trunk. For the whole story see Peter Del Tredici’s article.
Slanting Hinoki cypress.
Seeing this collection is what really cemented my interested in bonsai. The day i went there , the first issue of Bonsai Today was on sale in the gift shop and i havent missed an issue since!
Hi Larry,
Yeah, I remember when they used to sell BT and our bonsai books as well. I don’t know what’s up with their gift shop these days, but I do know the Arboretum is a great place to visit.
Wayne:
First….thank you for your photos and articles every week…..very inspiring.
Concerning the Hinoki Cypress Collection at the Arnold Arboretum, the English Bonsai Master Colin Lewis initiated a major restyling and revitalization of all these trees in 1998. Please visit his website below for more information.
http://www.colinlewisbonsai.com/anderson.html
Respectfully,
D/D
Thanks Daniel,
Agreed. Colin’s expert touch was a big help in bringing out the best in the trees, both aesthetically and health wise, though I’m not sure I’d call what he did on most trees a major restyling. I think Colin tried to maintain the original shape and character of each tree as much as possible. In his own words “…restore them to their original designs where possible.”
I think the Hinoki Cypress in the first picture is in front on page 17 in the article (looks like the same trea and pot.) I agree with you on the Japanese maple – I think it needs a blue pot to set off the leaves. Carolyn
Thanks Carolyn,
Good eye.