That's a human arm resting on the side of the pot. I don't know what kind of tree it is, but based on the trunk and nebari, I might guess it's a Ficus of some sort. I also don't know where this monster tree resides. However, I do know who the hand and arm belong to. His name is Enrique Castaño, the author of Botany for Bonsai, The Science Behind the Art (Stone Lantern & Haskill Creek). The photo is from Enrique's timeline. No information about the tree is provided.
Is there a size limit on bonsai? According to Wikipedia, the largest size bonsai are called Imperial Bonsai (also Eight-handed bonsai), which are up to 80″ tall (almost seven feet, or about two meters). I have no idea why someone decided the cutoff is at that height. Or at any height for that matter. The Japanese word bonsai simply means planting in a pot, so who’s to say when a planting is too big?
Continued below…
BONSAI TOOL KIT SPECIAL ENDS TOMORROW
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Now you know what Enrique looks like. What you don't know is how big Enrique is.
Close up. Look at those exposed roots. It's gotta be a ficus.
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