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Here are some of the results of the survey to which the readers of 'The Bonsai Site' have contributed : If you would also like to contribute your views on the current question, do not hesitate to fill out the survey here. You can also email the Bonsai Site with any suggestions for our next survey.
Question :"What is your favourite plant to use as bonsai?"
'Bonsai - A Hamlyn Care Manual' by Colin Lewis.
Opinions :
Nick Goldsworthy from Manchester, UK :
AZALEA. I love the azalea - it is relatively versatile, can tolerate cold environments and has beautiful flowers that come in many different colours. I personally prefer the kurume azaleas for their smaller leaves and flowers, but the satsuki azaleas are just as spectacular, if not moreso.
Chuck Doyle from Wilmington, US, says :
FICUS. This is a tropical plant but is relatively unkillable as long as you don't subject it to frost or extreme cold temperatures. It's also really easy to propogate (I reckon I would have about 100 now) and the leaves reduce in size really well. The glossy-green colored leaves are also spectacular.
Steve Fowler from zone 7a, Manasquan, New Jersey, US, says :
LACE-LEAFED JAPANESE MAPLE (Acer palmatum 'Garnet'). The Japanese Lace-leafed Maple variety 'Garnet' is very adaptable to my climate, has responded to every bend in the trunk I've asked it to make, and now has a semi-spiral form that is almost lyrical in its presentation. But thats just me.
Charles from zone 9b, Vero Beach, US, says :
BOUGAINVILLEA. This is the cheap and impatient man's azalea. Bougainvilleas grow like weeds. You must constantly pinch the leaves. This gives me more time to spend with my bonsai. Also, they grow best when neglected. The less you water them, the more they flower. Another reason is that you can take up to a 1 foot cutting or even bigger. All you do is add the root hormone and the roots start coming. All around, the bougainvillea as bonsai is beautiful, fits almost any style, grows quickly (for those who are impatient), is easy to propogate, you can scale the leaves easily, and it adds brightness to any collection.
Rick Smith from zone Nashville, US, says :
CEDAR. I have a very busy life. With 5 childern, I need trees that are hard to kill. I'd prefer others if I had the time, but for me the cedar tree that I have has survived my neglect. (13+ years) I also have a winged elm that is coming along very well.
Charlie Richey from zone 6, West Alexander, US, says :
CHESTNUT. I havent worked with too many species yet, but I just love my chestnut. I collected a young sapling from my own backyard that grew naturally in a windswept/informal upright style. It is young but if I thicken the trunk my little chestnut will be the talk of the town. I cant wait to see little thorny seed balls on its branches.
Glenn Wicks from Melbourne, Australia, says :
HORNBEAM. They have a true beauty in their delicate foliage and their nice trunks. They grow well in dapled light. I now have some 5 species of them - each has its own sheer beauty...
Ajay Mohan from Bangladore, India, says :
FICUS. I had no clubs nor expert guidance where I stay and made frequest mistakes as I solely
depended on the internet to get into Bonsai. Ficus has become my preferred species with Bouganveilla coming a
close second for a similar reason. In tropical climates (Inda) Ficus is a very very cooperative & fast grower
(so you CAN hide mistakes) & allows you to try advanced techniques as well as tolerating mistakes beginners like me
often make with their excessive enthusiasm and impatience. Ficus allows you to graduate too !! It's equally great
for root over rock (a style I love) or a broom or cascading style besides it is quick in getting a large nebari
(roots grow really fast) and thick trunk.
Steve Ruprecht from zone 4, St. Cloud, MN, US, says :
BOXWOOD. I was 16 when I got into bonsai. I bought a small Boxwood from a nursery in town that was on sale. It was marked as a bonsai even though it looked like it had been thrown in a corner for a year or two waiting to be sold. I had a quick flash back of The Karate Kid and the ninja turtles yelling 'BONSAI!!!' and bought the tree on impulse. At first I didnt like it but after a while it became a way to get away from it all. I must have spent hours just looking at it in awe. The best part was it was easy to take care of and had a really nice dark green foliage. To tell you the truth I wouldn't give up this bonsai for the world.
William Pearl from Umatilla, Florida, US, says :
SERISSA. Living in central Florida provides many advantages for plant culture. I have found that Serrisa grows very well given filtered light and kept evenly moist. The small leaves and blooms makes them well suited for mame and miniture bonsai. I prefer medium size, it takes time to grow a resonable size trunk. If kept in a slightly oversized container you'll find it realitively easy to maintain.
Larry Arnold from Boston, US, says :
LAVENDER STAR. I bought a Lavendar Star 8 months ago and enjoy it immensely. During the summer, it continually bloomed attractive purple blossoms and grew so many new leaves and branches that I had to prune it every other week. It's winter now and it continues to grow from the sunlight it receives from the window. Of all the bonsai I have (about a dozen), it is unique in it's appearance and really does look like a small wild tree.
Joann Buchanan from zone 8-9, Madera, US, says :
GINKGO BILOBA. I have respect for this unique tree, a living fossil, unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. It is the sole living link between the lower and higher plants, a symbol of longevity and I love the fan shaped leaves, looks like leather and have a wax layer on both sides. I live in the west and we have lots of full sun and partly shade. Very easy to take care of, its natural shape is a good style. It doesn't need (much) wiring. Just prune the branches which are too long so that its form keeps in balance. The bark is delicate, so be careful. Since I am a beginner at this, I very proud I have chosen an excellent tree as my first bonsai.
Akshatha from Bangladore, India, says :
FICUS (Banyan or Ficus Bengalenses). When it is fully developed into a bonsai its trunk is beautifully grown especially when it is a multi-trunk style. Arial roots hanging from the tree's branches give it a classic look.
Nancy Alexandru from zone 6b, Glendale, US, says :
JUNIPER (Juniperus sargentii). You can keep it in full sun. You can also wire and take softwod cuttings at any time. It can also be trained into every style except broom and is suitable for growing in all sizes. You also can bend the very flexible trunk and branches without causing much damage.
Serena Dawson from Whangarei, New Zealand, says :
Manuka (aka New Zealand Teatree). I have yet to find a tree with more good points than Manuka: they have beautiful, papery bark even when they are only 1 millimetre thick, tiny leaves, beautiful fragrant tiny flowers ranging from deep red to pure white, a naturally fibrous root structure, delicate twigs but fast growing. They are hard to kill (if you don't over-root-prune them), and have survived my treatment better than any other trees (about 8 years of less-than-perfect care). I just love them. Versitile, hardy, beautiful.
Ziackery from zone 6a, Lexigton, US, says :
FICUS. It's a beautiful little tropical that likes the temperature the way I do, its leaves reduce easily, wonderful arial roots, easy propogation and it can live under florescent lights in my dorm room!
Stewart from zone 3, Melbourne, Australia, says :
EUROPEAN ASH. The biggest and most beautiful tree I ever knew was the European Ash that grew in our backyard for 28 years until it had to be cut down due to the roots destroying the foundations of our family home. In an effort to preserve some sort of memory of the tree I planted lots of seeds and from there grew the first of my bonsai.
More entries will be posted within the next few days!
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