Author: Charlotte Field

EUCALYPTUSThere are over 800 types of Eucalyptus trees, and all the types are suitable to grow as bonsai. We will focus mainly on the Eucalyptus deglupta tree, Rainbow Eucalyptus, Rainbow Gum tree, or Mindanao Gum tree. Whichever Eucalyptus you choose to make a bonsai, make sure you know their temperature requirements as most are semi-tropical and a few are low semi-hardy. The Rainbow is the only tropical Eucalyptus.Eucalyptus are evergreens, and Rainbows are tropical evergreens. The tree has moderately broad, evergreen leaves and produces small white flowers packed with…

Tree of the Month - Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) The Dawn Redwood is another “living fossil”, an ancient tree that knew the dinosaurs. Scientists believed It was once one of the most widespread tree species in the Northern Hemisphere. Fossil remains were identified in North America, Asia and as far north as Greenland (which was almost tropical back then) and they had concluded that it must have been extinct for millions of years. Then in 1941 it was discovered growing in the Shui-hsu Valley of the Sichuan province of…

GINKGO (Ginkgo biloba), also called Maidenhair Tree  Revered for its beauty and longevity, the Ginkgo is a living fossil, unchanged for more than 200 million years. It is a single species with no known living relatives. It has survived the great ice ages as a relic in China. A living link to the age of dinosaurs, still here today. The oldest recorded ginkgo tree is 3,500 years old.   Ginkgo is a deciduous gymnosperm tree (family Ginkgoaceae) native to China. The fissured bark is grayish, deeply furrowed on older trees, and has…

LARCHThe Larch (Larix) is a genus of tall, upright, coniferous trees that are deciduous in contrast to most other conifers. The Larch, also known as Tamarack, is a major tree of the Northern hemisphere.  Its natural range extends to northern Canada and even up to the Arctic Circle, where temperatures can dip to -65.  Although larch and tamarack are different species, they are in the same genus and can be used interchangeably.It grows naturally in boggy locations, and therefore as a bonsai, it should not be allowed to dry…

By: Charlotte Field—February 2021 From a professional ballerina to a respected Bonsai Pro, Jennifer Price totally enjoys her life’s journey. As she shares her thoughts, I found her to be an honest, devoted, sincere person totally at ease with life, herself and The Art of Bonsai. Over 11 years ago she saw her first bonsai and she bought it. She didn’t have a real connection with it, just thought it was a pretty tree. I asked her if she still had it, and like most of us she said…