I don’t think there are many trees in our bonsai universe this powerful and that are styled with such precision (and without sacrificing the natural feel). It’s a Ficus by Min Hsuan Lo (Min doesn’t give the variety, but does say there are details in his book, Bonsai Journey). You don’t see many defoliated Ficus either. The absence of leaves allows you to better see the structure and fine branching, both of which are exquisite (in case you didn’t notice). I like the pot too. Its dark reddish-brown helps bring out the texture of the trunk and also highlights the tips of the twigs.
We can’t go too long without visiting the bonsai of Min Hsuan Lo. Min’s artistry results in distinct and intriguing trees that cover a range of types and styles, almost like they come from different places or different eras, rather than the nursery of a single bonsai artist. Anyway, enough said. You can take a look and decide for yourself what it is about Min’s bonsai that makes them so fascinating.
This Bougainvillea is a case in point. It just doesn’t look like most other bonsai (any other bonsai?).
Not your everyday bonsai and another case in point. How many trees have you seen that look like this (aside from the fact that we’ve shown it before here on Bark)? It’s a Ficus pedunculosa with what looks like a crop of new leaves. Beyond the tree’s fascinating form, there’s the excellent choice of pots (I won’t state the obvious) with the lovely green moss.
Style-wise this Bougainvillea is not so dramatic, even pedestrian, until you notice that it seems to exist just to show off the brilliant flowers. Nice choice of colors on the pot too.
So strange and so wonderful and such great ramification. It’s a Clerodendron inerme (Seaside clerodendrum, Embrert, Indian privet, Glorybower), a plant I’m not familiar with (as is the case with thousands of tropical plants). I suspect it’s a variety that’s not used much for bonsai.
Another strange and wonderful tree. Have you ever seen a Shimpaku that looks like this? Especially with what looks like a flopped over apex (or is it just me?) One thing you can say for sure is that it’s not styled in any mainstream fashion.
What do you mean – you don’t see many defoliated Ficus? At least for me, all I have to do is move it to a different location, and it’s defoliated in a day or two!?! LOL!!
Wayne,
Happy new year. The images you include in this pictorial, span over 15 years of Mr. Lo’s work. For example, the bougainvillea in thr green pot is an early work. After careful observation of trees in their natural elements, Master Lo has emulated such characteristics in his bonsai creations. You might find it hard to believe, but Ficus Penduculosa, in its native Kenting, grows with intertwined branches, displaying intricate forms. Nonetheless, Master Lo ser thr standard for this type of ficus and many artists follow his idea.
Clerodendron, good clerodendron, are hard to come by; even in Taiwan. It takes a strenuous amount of time to developma mature Clerodendron bonsai. This tree is planted in an antique chinese pot and was chosen as the top award in one of the Taiwan Bonsai Creators Exhibitions.
Warm regards,
Jose Luis
Wayne,
I forgot to comment on the first picture; the ficus. Ficus microcarpa is the single oldest species used for bonsai in Taiwan. Some trees, although few, date back to over three hundred years in a pot.
In Tainan County, specifically in the National Chengkung University campus, lives a huge ficus mocrocarpa, which set the “Shu Lao Tze” or natural/tree teacher for all ficus bonsai lovers in the island. From a distance, the tree offers a beautiful clouded/irregular profile, much coveted by early Taiwanese bonsai pioneers. However and always striving to evolve, Master Lo took it three (3) steps further. The first generation ficus microcarpa bonsai focused on the coveted clouded profile and broad/fluted trunk. Needless to say, in 1995, at the Taiwan All Ficus Bonsai Show, Master Lo won first place with his first generation ficus, winning him the honor of having his tree in the cover of the publication. This wasn’t enough. Always searching for ways to improove, Master Lo visited the tree many times, studying its branches, proportions and roots. After careful study, second generation ficus bonsai was born. Proportion wise, the trunk and clouded profile are still important, but primary emphasis is placed on branches, which emerge from a common/thinner root base and spread vertically outwards, very much like the tree in Tainan. Once again, Master Lo won an award for this tree at the annual Taiwan Bonsai Creators exhibition.
Not stopping there, third generation ficus bonsai began to evolve; the result being the tree you included in your pictorial. Combining the first and second feneration, this work takes the following principle into account; achieving proportion in every element of the tree. Also, and if you carefully observe the individual elements included within the structure, you are able to observe every bonsai style; from informal upright to cascade.
I leave you with the following reflection: are you able to compare this tree with the natural shapes of the ancient oak trees seen in the southern U.S.?
Warm regards,
Jose Luis
Hi Jose Luis,
Great analysis. Very helpful and intriguing. I especially like the piece about observing every bonsai style.
Yes about the oaks, but not just the Quercus virginiana (southern live oak), but other magnificent species of live oak, in particular California Q agrifolia (CA live oak), which to my eye is the most magnificent of them all (but then I’m biased, being from that part of the world). And then there are a whole slew of great deciduous oaks throughout much of N America, including the CA Blue oak (Q. douglasii) another magnificent gnarled tree reminiscent of Master Lo’s tree. And there are a number of great oak species in the Northeast, including a wonderful huge old oak white oak smack dab in front of my house in Vermont.