Corkbark Fascination

htb

I was at the Redwood Empire show today, and saw some absolutely beautiful trees (but those redwood stumps are getting expensive!) Kathy Shaner was there for a Californial juniper demonstration, which I quite enjoyed. I'm sure there will be a writeup from someone on the board, so I'll spare the gory details for now.

One thing stuck out, however:
There were a couple of cork bark Japanes black pines that were drawing quite a few comments from the passers-by. Most of what I heard was something along the lines of complete fascination with the cork bark- almost awe.

To me, cork bark is sort of silly. Furthermore, all of the classic bonsai aesthetics draw from nature, and most cork barks are anything but natural in appearance. Cork bark pines are not really a separate variety, as far as I can tell, but more of a mutation that has been forcibly propogated. In older specimins the cork bark looks very odd- almost out of place on what would otherwise be an amazing tree. This is especially true on grafted cork barks, where the "cork" often flares out above the graft, leading to a bizarre reverse taper.

Does anyone else see this as well, or is it just me?

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Carl_Bergstrom

Furthermore, all of the classic bonsai aesthetics draw from nature, and most cork barks are anything but natural in appearance.

Bzzzt - close, but no cigar.

The 1:6 trunk:height ratio? Not from nature. Rather, designed to suggest certain aspects of nature.

Foliage pads on formal uprights? Not from nature. Rather, designed to suggest certain aspects of nature.

Oblique-triangular foliage mass subdivided into smaller oblique triangles? Not from nature. Rather, for aesthetic purposes of its own.

Gnarly old cork bark? You tell me.

I see it kind of like I see a big old quince fruit on a little tiny shohin. A realistic miniaturization? No way. Cool nonetheless? You better believe it. Your term "awe" is a good word. A huge quince fruit on a tiny tree may not look like anything in nature, but I sure do feel awe when I look at it and try to understand how in the hell a 6" tree managed produce a 3" fruit. Same thing for a cork bark pine that has a maybe 2/3 of its diameter composed of bark rather than heartwood.

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The process and the aesthetic don't evolve independently. Certain facets of the process present particular challenges - and meeting these challenges becomes incorporated into or even disproporionately emphasized in the evolving aesthetic principles by which we judge our art.

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That said, I don't really like reverse-taper grafted cork bark pines either.

(...not that I'd kick one out of my growing bed for eating fertilizer cakes.)

All the best,
Old Mister

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TreeBay

If it is viral, for some reason it does not cross the graft union area and infect the rootstock, and cause it to swell, which makes me think it is not a virus. Perhaps a difference in genetics, and you are correct it isn't a separate species, (but since when was that a measure of worth for a cultivar).

Many of the corkbark pines are grafted, some higher than others. Over time the branches and corking quite often gets very corky, and the "wings" of cork may hit the soil, the pot and everywhere else.

Were the corkbark trees in the training area or the main show area? I didn't see them, but I never made it out of the main hall

Personally, I happen to love corkbark pines, and I accept the faults with rootage and the difficulty in repotting, wiring and maintaining them. I know some equally experienced enthusiasts that do not enjoy them, so it is probably an acquired taste, or maybe it's a genetic mutation in the aesthetics gland of the hobbyist?

Regards,

Matt

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htb

well, I did say *draw* from nature and not *mimic* nature, didn't I?

Bonsai aesthetics do indeed draw from nature, and are an idealized view of what is considered beautiful in old trees.

I agree with what you're saying, in that most of those features aren't ubiquitous (or even common). Still, some of the features you mentioned do indeed arise naturally and can even be common in some species. Triangular appearance and foliage pads are hallmarks of old sequoias and some cedars. The very old oaks in Napa have oblique, rounded triangular shape with further subdivision of triangular regions.

While driving around monterey a few weeks ago, I couldn't help but notice that those naturally windswept cypress look awfully bonsai-like, if a bit scraggly. Same is true for the sierra juniper that I was hanging on while climbing at Lover's Leep last weekend- very bonsai like (almost artificially so: these things belong in a pot!)

Looking at these trees, I definitely see nature's influence on how most of us shape our plants. Naka would agree, I think, since he dedicated most of his "techniques II" to studying trees in a natural habitat and pointing out how they would look as bonsai.

On the other hand, "natural" azaleas are much more likely to be just a big ball of foliage and not those cute little pyramids that are seen in the shows. As for your comment about disproportionate emphasis on artistic features, I couldn't agree with you more. I've never seen a 15' trident maple with a 20' diameter trunk (as scaled up from the current rage in bonsai tridents). See the sumo thread a while back- I'm not going that direction!

cheers,
htb

htb

Matt- there were a few on the vendors' tables, and two in the show.

The one I was thinking of specifically was toward the back-left (probably 2 aisles over from the demonstration room) and near the end of the table. It had the wings that you mention. I think it must have been a bit young, since the cork was just starting to flare out (giving the aforementioned taper problem, although I didn't see the graft union for a lack of looking closely).

Carl_Bergstrom

Thank goodness - that shape is ugly enough at 8" high! Imagine 15' of it staring you in the face!



You're right about Naka's Bonsai II of course. I don't know too much about the historical evolution of bonsai styles, but I had taken Naka's emphasis on natural form as a reaction
to some of the more stylized aspects of Japanese bonsai as it was being practiced say 20 or 30 years ago. Some of the styles in vogue then look to my untrained eye almost like topiary.

I guess my main defense of the cork-bark pines relies on the wonder that they engender in the viewer.

Best regards,
Old Mister

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TreeBay

Here's a big-trunk umemodoki (Deciduous Holly) Ilex serrata From Taikanten 2000 in Japan

I think this tree is "wicked!"

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TreeBay

And a trident maple This one a shohin just a few inches tall:

Lace gloves not included.

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Carl_Bergstrom

Damn it, Matt, you're always making me eat my words.

I almost like that Ilex.

I spent some time looking at it, trying to figure out why. I think it's because the low branches sort of imply "multitrunk" and the extreme taper isn't in your face nearly as much as it would be if those branches were cleared off.

(New sport: X-treme bonsai on ESPN2. This week, Mike Page trunk-chops a 40' redwood...)

So anyway, that's interesting. What I find ugly isn't the trunk mass per se, it's the in-your-face taper and the nebari spreading across the surface of the pot like an oil slick.

All the best,
Old Mister

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