Ficus Fracas

pootsie

My thoughts here have been spurred on by the discussion in this thread but this is a tangential idea so I thought a separate discussion to be appropriate.

Two opposing ideas:

1. A ficus as a bonsai should be styled to resemble a ficus in nature, with a strong base and a rounded, spreading canopy.

2. A ficus is malleable, and as a bonsai can be styled in any form ranging from banyan to bunjin, windswept, formal upright or cascade.

Discuss ...

pootsie

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Adam_MA

Good topic Poots!
My personal thoughts agree with statement #1. Though I have seen a couple of examples of Ficus trees styled in other manners that are rather convincing I still find myself going back to a wide spreading rounded canopy. If you take a look at This Thread you will see my large Retusa. If you follow down the posts to #15 you will see that the shape I ended up with was more of a broom. Since this I have been reworking the tree to get the canopy to be a more spreading and rounded look. At the time I thought this style lent itself well for this tree, but looking again and again at the trunk, I thought it more powerful to spread the canopy out. I still have a bit of wiring and adjusting to be completed before I will be happy with the structure, but I think it will overall look much better.

Your thoughts?

Adam

ScruffMgruff

hey, i just took some pictures for u guys up north that dont see ficus mutch.the hurricanes messed them up, but are recovering.

im not goin into what is or isnt bonsai, but a ficus to me thats not in a canopy form looks unhappy,

Aaron_K

I personally like a bonsai tree to look like a tree - if that makes sense lol. I know some of you have seen these pictures before - but they are among the best examples of Ficus bonsai I have ever seen on the web.







Im sure you will agree - absolutely stunning examples by Victor Dan of the Philippines.

Now if I could get those for £5 on ebay... I'd be happy

Aaron_K

Wow Scruff.... what gorgeous trees!

Frogboy

Scruff, you should head up to Commercial Blvd. (pkwy?) in Lauderdale. If you go just west of I-95 there is a huge fenced in compound - Golf course, maybe? - to the north. The large ficus (is it ficuses or fici?) there are the most spectacular specimens I have ever seen. The canopies spread at least 150 ft, and they are probably 80+ ft. tall. The canopies look almost flat they are so wide and rounded. Not to mention that the aerial roots have merged with the trunk to make a mass probably 30 ft. wide.

Go get some pictures of THOSE!

Frog

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Jerry Meislik

I am not sure that a Ficus bonsai must look like a Ficus but I sure do like the pictures of figs. Wow!
Perhaps someone could elaborate on why a Ficus bonsai should or must look like a natural one?
Sorry to be a thorn in the side.
Jerry

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clrosner

Jerry:
Since you wrote the Book on Ficus, a "teaser" might be to post a few of the pictures from your book.

I'll stick my neck out and post one of My Ficus Retusa. I'll stand back and watch the sparks fly!

Attached Images

F RETUSA 05 040521.jpg (57.9 KB, 91 views)

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TreeBay

I can't see any reason why a ficus always needs to look like a ficus. As Walter points out time and again, California Juniper are scruffy shrubs in nature. (I am sure he used another word.) However, that natural habit should not mean that we need to style them as scruffy shrubs, always, or even the majority of the time.

I think the only requirement is that bonsai should follow the mood of natural trees and evoke the feelings of natural trees. If you wish to style them to look like bonsai instead, that is another story.

Regards,

Matt

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