The Tallest Trees in the World?

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This Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii* subsp. glauca) is one of numerous extraordinary bonsai at Ryan Neil's Bonsai Mirai (near Portland, Oregon). It was originally collected in the Rocky mountains by Randy Knight. It's age is given as 100-250 years. Height is 36" (91cm), width 52" (132cm).

Yesterday’s post got me thinking about Firs and it wasn’t a long trip from firs (Abies varieties) to Douglas firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii). So even though Douglas firs are not true firs, still, these photo are just too good to pass up

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Doug Paul's Doug fir (Douglas Paul's Douglas fir) was one of my favorites at the Artisans Cup. Doug is the man behind the Kennett Collection. Photo taken with my iPhone.

 

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This Douglas fir belongs to Ryan Neil. Here's his caption... "The Douglas Fir is hypothesized to have been the tallest tree in the world, even taller than the Redwood. But no one knows for sure because the old growth Douglas Firs were all cut down before anyone had the tools to accurately measure. This stunted Doug Fir likely lived back when those Giants stood tall." 

Here's a link to an article that backs up this 'taller than redwoods' claim. It's difficult to know the veracity of such claims, but the controversy is juicy (and just a little sad) for tree lovers.

 

ryanfircloseup

Close up of the tree just above

 

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This Big cone Douglas fir by Dan Robinson  jumped out at me because it seems so absolutely raw. Apologies for the fuzzy photo. I picked it up off of Dan’s website and blew it up to fit our format. It doesn’t appear in Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees (Dan's mind bending bonsai book), though many other examples of Dan’s very raw bonsai do.

 

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Close up of the tree at the top of the post

*Pseudotsuga means false Hemlock. Menziesii is a reference to a person (or more than one person) named Menzies

 

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Silver Fir Bonsai – A First (for us at least)

fir

This European silver fir (Abies alba) belongs to Walter Pall.  We borrowed this and the other photos shown here from Walter's Bonsai Adventures Blog.

It’s not that often we discover a suitable-for-bonsai plant species that we’ve yet to feature (300+ posts a year for 8 years covers a lot of ground). So, as you might imagine, our interest was peaked when we landed on this European silver fir while cruising Walter Pall’s famous bonsai blog.

Continued below…

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firbefore

The same tree somewhere in Switzerland before it dug in 2001

Just in case you’re interested, here’s a little something I borrowed from Wikipedia… Abies alba, the European silver fir is native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Carpathians, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and south to Italy, Bulgaria and northern Greece…  (more below)

firsize

A little perspective. This photo is from sometime in its journey from when it was dug in 2001 and today. The human is Peter Thali, the man who found and dug this remarkable bonsai. Peter is an accomplished bonsai artist in his own right, as you might surmise from how far this tree came along in his care.

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Close up from the photo at the top of the post

 

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Abies alba continued from above…  is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 40–50 metres (130–160 ft) (exceptionally 60 metres (200 ft)) tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in). The largest measured tree was 68 m tall and had a trunk diameter of 3.8 metres (12 ft). It occurs at altitudes of 300–1,700 metres (980–5,580 ft) (mainly over 500 metres (1,600 ft)), on mountains with a rainfall of over 1,000 millimetres (39 in)… There’s more on Wikipedia if your appetite remains unslaked

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A Well Fed Japanese Red Pine & a Reminder to Feed Your Bonsai Generously

redpine41

This distinctive Japanese red pine with its strong shari and sudden change of direction, shows the radiant vibrancy of a well-fed bonsai. It belongs Ken Fujiwara

Summer growing season is time to generously feed your bonsai…
Without adequate fertilizing, you won’t see the development you want; vibrant rich foliage, fine branching, thickening trunks and primary branches, powerful nebari and most critical of all, strong root growth. And of course, well-fed strong bonsai can better resists pests and diseases and withstand the challenges of the coming winter

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kenfujiwara

Same tree, this time in loco in front of Ken Fujiwara's house

The photos featured here are from a post we did back in May, 2015. We’ve dispensed with the original text because it’s not so relevant to our mission here… to encourage you to generoulsy feed your bonsai and to revisit Japanese red pines (see this post from last week)

otherredpineA somewhat similar Red pine. It belongs to Fujiyoshi Kandaka. The photo is from Bonsai World

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Nothing but Eat, Sleep and Bonsai

shimpaku

In Jeremiah Lee's own words ... "Here are a couple trees that Juan recently worked on. I got to see him clean up and style this bad ass twisty Shimpaku." From Jeremiah's two week apprenticeship at Aichi-En Bonsai Nursery. Juan is Juan Andrade, a now well-known international bonsai artist. This and the other photos in this post are by Jeremiah.

Today is Honeydew day. Time is short and getting shorter, so it’s back to our archives. This one, from January 2015, features the bonsai of Juan Andrade (yesterday’s artist)

I’ve been a fan of Jeremiah Lee’s Yenling Bonsai blog for a while now (here’s an earlier Bark post that owes its existence to Jeremiah). Not only does Jeremiah take very good photos, but he writes with an infectious enthusiasm that expresses his passion for bonsai.

Continued below…

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If you’re not familiar with Yenling Bonsai blog now is a good time to correct that oversight. Not that he previous posts aren’t good, but now he has outdone himself with his first installment on his mini-apprenticeship (my expression, not his) at Aichi-En Bonsai Nursery in Nagoya, Japan, where in his words it was “Nothing but eat, sleep and Bonsai for two weeks.”

Here’s more in Jeremiah’s own words: “Here I am at Aichi En on my first day. I was blown away by the nursery and trees. The nursery itself is bigger and more beautiful than I imagined, owned by Mr. Junichiro Tanaka a 4th generation Bonsai professional” (more just below)…

redpine

… “The first tree I worked on was selected from the field above. There were maybe fifty or so trees similar to the one below in the field. This red pine was a good pick for practicing wiring, styling, bending and selecting the best front. I received a ton of help on each project I worked on at Aichi-En. Generally,  Juan (Andrade) would give me pointers throughout and then help me to make adjustments to improve the overall final appearance.

I frequently followed Juan around the garden, trying to steal his knowledge whenever possible ;).” (more below)….

 

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… “In order to bend down the tallest branch growing up, we used a jack, stainless steel wire and a stainless steel screw in the trunk. The jack helps to compress the branch/trunk at a slow and even speed, while the wire was tightened to hold it into place. I gave the jack three slow half turns at a time, watching and listening.”

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trident

More in Jeremiah’s own words…“When we were not working on trees, he (Juan) would often stop to point things out to help teach me. Like with this massive Trident.”

Above are just a few of Jeremiah’s photos and small pieces of his writing. I encourage you to visit his blog and enjoy the whole story.

 

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Florida Cracker – Before & After

juanafter

This Buttonwood is just a tad more eccentric than your average bonsai. Juan Andrade posted this and some other photos of this tree a while back.  Here's his caption "Florida Cracker", ain't it? Sourced @ Olicata Bonsai Studio last year. Thank you Hiram!"*

Today I set out to find a something that Juan Andrade wrote about four types of bonsai nurseries. Sadly, I failed in my quest (not defeated, just postponed), but I did find the photos shown here on Juan’s timeline and couldn’t resist. And if you’d like to get back to this tree’s source, you can visit Olicata Bonsai Studio

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juanbefore

Before. For a moment I thought this isn't the same tree. But it is and with just a little imagination, the puzzle is easily solved

 

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After pruning and defoliating, and before transplanting

 

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Juan Andrade at this year's World Bonsai Convention with his demo tree. You might notice that it's sitting on a Green T Professional Hydraulic Turntable (just like all the demo trees at the WBC)

*If the term Florida Cracker intrigues you and you want to know more, Juan offer a little something on his timeline that might help

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Bonsai & Penjing – the next best thing to being there

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John Naka's famous Goshin, from the cover of Bonsai & Penjing, a book that tells the stories of the trees at the National Arboretum's Bonsai and Penjing Museum in Washington D.C. A must for any red-blooded American bonsai lover and really, any bonsai lover anywhere.

I just spent some time revisiting Bonsai and Penjing, Ambassadors of Peace and Beauty and my enthusiasm for this remarkable book was completely recharged. It is a rare gem that features dazzling photos of dozens of some of the best bonsai in the world. And without getting too wordy, I wish I could express just how engrossing the writing is, with fascinating stories about the individual trees and the collection itself.

Much of this post originally appeared in October, 2016 when we first offered this ground breaking book.

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b1bonpenspread2

A spread from Bonsai and Penjing.

The following is from the publisher of Bonsai and Penjing
“It details their valuable role in international diplomacy and as instruments of American presidential influence. It also describes their inclusion in world’s fair exhibitions, in Asian-inspired gardens around the country, and as a window onto the extensive cultivation of bonsai in North America today. An extensive first-hand account by Dr. John L. Creech is included about the first extraordinary gift of 53 bonsai from Japan to the U.S. in 1976 which prompted the founding of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.

Continued below…

b1bonpenjwpI don't have to tell you this Japanese white pine is a great tree.

“Bonsai & Penjing, Ambassadors of Beauty and Peace describes how Chinese penjing and North American bonsai were later added to the Museum, making its collection the most comprehensive in the world. Stories of individual trees and forest plantings are featured, as are the roles played by the skilled and talented creators of these living art forms?people such as John Naka, Saburo Kato, Yuji Yoshimura, Harry Hirao, and Dr. Yee-Sun Wu. Armchair travelers can experience what a visit to the Museum is like, including the discovery of its remarkable viewing stones.”

B1BONPEN-500x419Bonsai & Penjing, Ambassadors of Beauty and Peace will delight anyone intrigued by these living works of art and curious about the stories they bring to life. We are delighted to offer a beautiful new boisai book for all of you who love our wonderful U.S. National Bonsai & Penjing collections (even if you don't know it yet). It's the next best thing to being there and as a bonus you get the awe inspiring stories of the trees, with some international diplomacy thrown in for good measure.

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Pine Bonsai – A Less Common Cousin

redpine

This handsome cork bark (see corrections below*) Japanese red pine, with its deeply grooved bark tells a story of age and beauty. The artist is Enrico Savini.

If someone asked you to name two Japanese pines, you’d probably answer, Japanese black pine and Japanese white pine. This would make sense as most of the Japanese pine bonsai you see are Black or White.

However, there is another important Japanese pine. It’s the Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora). One reason you might not think of the Red pine is that it is less common than the Black or White pine and, it is difficult to distinguish from the Black pine (especially in photos).

Anyway, it’s time to enjoy some top notch Japanese red pines. All of the trees shown here are by Western bonsai artists. The photos are from The Art of Bonsai Project.

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pinemain

Here's another Cork bark (see corrections below*) Japanese red pine. You don't see that many Red pine bonsai and you see ever fewer Cork bark red pines. The artist is Walter Pall. The tree was origianally collected in Korea and the pot is Korean.

 

red2

We've shown this one before, but it's certainly good enough for an encore. The artist is Mariusz Komsta. The pot is Antique Chinese 'Koseiken'

 

pine3Here's another Mariusz Komsta tree. There was a day when deadwood on pines wasn't all that common (rotting is more of problem with pine deadwood than with deadwood on Juniper and some other conifers). As with all deadwood, lime sulfur slows rotting and helps keep it attractive.

*Thanks to our friend Bill Valavanis for setting us straight… “The pines you showed today are NOT cork bark. The Japanese red pines from Korea develop a thick bark, which looks like cork bark. They are called “Gansekisho” or “Senmaigawa”. They are often imported to Japan and then top grafted with Japanese red pine to make stunning specimens. Mr. Iwasaki had loads of them. Many were approached grafted in addition to top grafted.”

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A Little Bonsai Love on Hot Summer Days

michaelI borrowed this distinctive two-headed Shimpaku from Micheal Hagedorn's Portfolio on Crataegus Bonsai. Specifically from the section titled Bonsai Work in Japan (see Post Dated below)

The text below is from a 2010 post we borrowed from Michael Hagedorn on summer misting. In addition being a highly accomplished bonsai artist, Michael is a great teacher, with a wealth of bonsai knowledge almost unrivaled in the West. If you’d like to learn more than you ever imagined about bonsai, you’d be well served to visit Michael’s Crataegus Bonsai.
Continued below…

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Here’s the original in Michael’s own words…
“Last summer I mentioned the practice of ‘hamisu’ which is the misting of bonsai during hot summer days. This light topical watering wets the foliage, trunk, pot and first half inch or inch of soil. It refreshes the tree.If you water the trees in the morning on hot days, they will often need this lighter watering once or twice following that. This is especially true when the temperatures rise above 90 degrees F. Hamisu is most effective when the sun is lowering in the sky.“
Continued below…
michael2
Another shot from Michael's Bonsai Work in Japan
Continued from above…
Be careful watering too late in the day when you have fungus problems. There is juniper tip blight, Phomopsis, to be concerned with, for instance. Any water on the foliage should dry before night sets in during the warm months.”
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b1post-for-webMichael’s Post Dated
Still the best bonsai read
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U.S. National Shohin Bonsai Exhibition – June 23-25

shohin3

This classy Shohin display shows the quality you can expect at the upcoming U.S. National Shohin Bonsai Exhibition.

It’s coming soon and it promises to be the Shohin bonsai event of the year. And best of all, it’s not too late to treat yourself and make your plans to be in Kannapolis, North Carolina (30 miles north of Charlotte) June 23-25.

Here are three links for more details (Bill Valavanis’ website, Bill on facebook and Bill’s blog). And just in case – given countless Bark post (including our last two) and all three of these links –  you might think Bill Valavanis is everywhere all at once, you wouldn’t be that far off.

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shohin2

Be there!

Why Shohin? Shohin are less expensive, take less space, are easier to water, take less time to develop and best of all… as we slide into our seniority, they are easier on old backs.

 

shohin

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Blooming Bonsai Beauties & a Quick Tip on Ramification

wist

I found this luscious beauty on Micheal Hagedorn's Crateagus Bonsai. It's a Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis).* Here's Michael's caption... "This tree has been a prolific bloomer for the past five years. When the blooms are done, leaves form at the base of the bloom spike, so we cut them back to those leaves, leaving a short spike. That becomes our ramification in a wisteria bonsai."

Just back from vacation and swamped, so we’ll make this one short and sweet. Thanks once again to our friend and teacher, Michael Hagedorn, a source of brilliant bonsai insights (and brilliant bonsai!)

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iris

We've seen this unusual little friend before, but it's worth another shot. Here's Michael's caption... "Iris cristata—When they get really senile they don’t bloom so often, so this one is still a teenager. Was potted only a couple years back. To restart the bloom cycle, repot your iris. There’s a Maidenhair fern that blew in there unexpectedly, like a hitchhiker, tucked in on the left… I like it so I left it. Foliage with very different sizes/feelings are good in an accent." I'm not sure if I should take Micheal's senile comment personally.
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