This sweet to look at, but otherwise nasty little bonsai is from Yorozu Shohin Bonsai Nursery in Japan. It caught my wary eye recently on a post by John Romano on Bonsai Study Group Forum. I’m going to assume that it’s an Asian Poison ivy (see text below).
One genus, several species
What follows is for those of us who get excited when we see Latin names. If you don’t fall into that unique subset of above average humans, you can skip this part and just enjoy the photos.
The genus is Toxicodendron (previously Rhus). I don’t know how many species there are worldwide in this foul grouping, but for our purposes, there are at least three (well, maybe four) worth mentioning. The first is our east coast Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). Nick Lenz’s little gem below is a pretty good example this noxious menace. The second is our west coast Poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) and the third is the Asian Poison ivy (Toxicodendron orientale), which according to Wikipedia is so similar to our Poison ivy that some texts treat it as just a variety of the American species. The forth, Atlantic Poison oak (Toxicodendron pubescens) comes as a surprise to me. Apparently this little thug makes its home mostly in our Old Confederacy (that’s down south for those of you who failed American History – but then you wouldn’t be reading this far anyway).
This one is from Nick Lenz’ masterful Bonsai from the Wild. It’s an East Coast Poison Ivy. Judging by the leaves and bark, it’s doesn’t appear to be the same species as the one above. Still, according to Wikipedia (see text above) it’s very close.
Nice trunk, but — forsooth!
Just looking at them makes me itchy. Highly allergic so I’ll never have one.
I get the hebe geebes just looking at the photos. Grows all around the Piedmont of North Carolina and jumps off the trees and attacks. Even the damned roots can eat you up.
I guess this is a good example of perspective…..personally I don’t understand actually making poison ivy look beautiful – I have too many memories of scratching!
I think on this one, I have to agree with David. Even though you may have the talent to make something like Poison Ivy or Poison Oak into something beautiful . . . WHY???!!! I mean, I get the thing about “challenges” and overcoming obstacles and all that, but SERIOUSLY? For those of US who live “down south”, Georgia to be specific, that would be just about like making Bonsai out of KUDZU! (Y’ALL!). Sometime, just because you CAN doesn’t necessarily mean you SHOULD! But, what the heck, to each his own. Nice tree!
For those of you fortunate enough NOT to be familiar with KUDZU, it’s this cute little vine that we “down south” were blessed with back during the Depression, that some US Senator saw growing on the hillsides in Japan that he thought would help the poor southern farmers control soil erosion. Now, not only can we not get rid of the stuff, it completely over-runs anything in it’s path; trees, fences, buildings, houses, anything! I’ve spent so much time and money trying to get rid of the stuff on my little 3 1/2 acres in North GA., I could NEVER bring myself to actually plant the stuff on purpose, no matter how beautiful a Bonsai it could make! The world may never know!!!
For your information Nick named his Osama at one point. it has long since been sold and in another’s care.
Mike
Thanks David, David, Mac, Steven, Steve and Michael,
Yeah, I get itchy just looking too. The little demons are nasty to say the least. No fun at all.
Still, hats off to the creative souls that find bonsai where most of us only find fear and loathing.
You have to admit it makes a great conversation piece, though! David, having been born a Hoosier and raised in the South, you cracked me up laughing. I can picture just TRYing to trim kudzu hourly! You probably wouldnt even need high speed photography. Not ready to try poison ivy as I just finished the calamine on the blisters after finding a patch of poison ivy during a walk through the woods. I have to say that it was worth it to get the wonderful pictures of the ancient looking live oaks. Hmm, would it be worth it to bonsai that ivy? I guess I am not ready to itch again yet. If anyone else has the “itch” to do this, please let us see the results (of the bonsai, not the itch)! I already have a nickname for the tree though– ‘b’onsai + ‘itch’ = ….. ;)
Hi Sandy,
Ha! bonsai + itch. Not bad.