North American Plant study group?

vtbonsaichief

It’s recently come to my attention that there are groups of enthusiasts participating in studies on the viability of species for bonsai use. There’s the Australian Plants as Bonsai study group,http://farrer.riv.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/bonsai.html#bonsai, and there appears to be an Indian Bonsai study group, www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Palace/7574/india.html . I’ve yet to find a North American study though. Has anyone looked into this sort of study? If so I’d be very interested in knowing the results, or at least some stats and info found out so far.

Perhaps if no one has started this study yet, may it be time to? There are certainly many North American species whose potential for bonsai has yet to be tapped.

__________________
"I am Treeman, Master of the universe!"

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rockm

The reason you don't find capsulized info like the sites you have posted is that North America is a vast place with a huge variety of climate zones and native species. A single web page can't cover it.

The best place to start for North American bonsai is the American Bonsai Society:

http://www.absbonsai.org/

Try the links section.. The magazine the group produces (ABS Journal) has has articles and photos of a host of North American native species as bonsai, collection, etc. It's a must have. The organization has a long history of helping North American bonsaiists.

David Yedwab

And, to not steal Ron's thunder, ABS is holding a great learning seminar and exhibit of native american species only bonsai next summer see http://www.absbonsai.org/seminars/ABS2006/main.html

__________________
David Yedwab

ALDEVAUX

I agree very much with you, vbonsaichief, especially for species of trees growing in the most northen zones ( zone 4 and lower).
The problem is that the population of people living in those zones is much lower than the others so that we do not yet have many experts or many bonsai enthusiasts who have tried to style the many different species of trees and shrubs that may have good potentials for making world class bonsai.
For the time being we are mostly limited with non native imported species which can still make descent bonsai but not as good as the natives which are the ones really well adapted to our climatic conditions.

Vance Wood

The real problem is not that native trees are not being used, they are, all ovedr the country. The problem is that many of these trees are not sold and cultivated in the nursery industry so few people have access to them or, if they live in areas where they are not native, they are not aware of them.

Here is a partial list.

Bald Cypress
Button Wood
Common Juniper
Blue Rug Juniper
Juniperus Horizontalis
Canadian Yew
Mountian Hemlock
Western Hemlock
Canadian Hemlock
Coastal Red Wood
Sierra Red Wood
Huckle Berry
Manzanita
Coastal Live Oak
Douglas Fir
Ponderosa Pine
Limber Pine
Western White Pine
South Western White Pine
Eastern White Pine (cultivars)
Lodge Pole Pine
Shore Pine
Pinion Pine
Sierra Juniper
California Juniper
Rocky Mountian Juniper
Colorado Spruce
White Bark Pine
Bristle Cone Pine
Foxtail Pine
Cedar Elm
Swamp Elm
Pitch Pine
Virginia Pine
Eastern Red Cedar
Eastern White Cedar
Balsam Fir
White Fir
Red Fir
White Spruce
Alberta Spruce
Shore Juniper
Blue Berry
Corryopsis
Carolina Iron Wood (Caolina Hornbeam)
American Beech
American Red Maple


I know there are others but these are the only ones I could pull of the top of my memory. You wont find most of them in the nursery trade, most will have to be collected though there are a few exceptions.

__________________
The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

vtbonsaichief

Not to be argumentative, rockm, but Australia and India are pretty big places too. In fact, I'd venture that Australia has more species diveristy than the US. But i digress.

So then it should be possible and more practical to form regional bonsai study groups, no? Say, a Northeastern study group, or a central/midwestern study group?

I also want to point out that I am aware of those species being used , Vance, but they are mostly western species. not that that they aren't interesting in their own way, just that, well......

Okay, so I guess my real beef is that Northeastern species, the plants where I live, are not being utilised to any great degree. But in general I would like to see as many NA species used as possible.

__________________
"I am Treeman, Master of the universe!"

Vance Wood

Your original question was not limited to the North East, you said North America.

However:

Canadian Hemlock
White Spruce
Alberta Spruce
Common Juniper
Wiltons Blue Rug Juniper
Juniperus Horizontalis
Pitch Pine
Jack Pine
Eastern White Pine
Eastern Horn Beam
American Beech
Blue Berry
Chock Cherry
American Red Maple
Eastern Larch
Eastern White Cedar
Eastern Red Cedar
Canadian Yew

To name a few.

__________________
The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

Ralph

VT,

Maybe this is your queue to take initiative. There are several notable bonsai personalities in the northeastern North American reagion. Surely they have experience with the species grown where they live. Perhaps all they are needing is someone like yourself to come along and organize them. Build a website, ask for article submissions, etc.
I know where I live, there are a number of very noteworthy bonsai personalities (arutledge, hbsmith, thomas_j., and so many others) that have contributed knowledge and documentation on native species. Articles are readily available on the internet for some of these species, and when I go to club meetings, I am able to talk directly with folks that have had many years experience with the likes of yaupon hollies, cedar elms, ashe junipers, and bald cypress. Through my association in the local club with these folks, I feel I can pick up the phone or send them an email anytime and pick their brains on questions I may have about natives in my area, as well as bonsai knowledge in general.
Do folks in your club readily share their knowledge and experience?

__________________
Emerging from winter slumber
Bonsai trees burst buds anew
Spring is upon us!


-Paul S.

vtbonsaichief

Unforunately I'm not a member of a club. Where I live ( in the Adirondack mountains ) I'm sort of cutoff from the general bonsai practising groups. The nearest club is over in Vermont, the green mountain bonsai club.

While I used to live in VT, (hence the name) I no can no longer really travel so far away for club meetings. I did try to start up a bonsai club in my area, but I'm afraid there is little interest and I'm not sure how to advietise it effectively. I know there is talent out here in the mountains; I was an arborist when I first got here and I was told rumprs of a man with a collection of trees. I never got specifics.

I don't really think I'd be qualified to run any sort of organisation, although if I had some pledges from interestees and genuine effort and support, I might be able to pull it off.

Although with my rather slim finances at the moment, I don't know how practical it would be. Winter time for a nursery man is killer. And finding alternate jobs up here is excruciating and infuriating.

__________________
"I am Treeman, Master of the universe!"