AusBonsai

Wondering if anybody has any experience with Rhus lancea - African sumac? Found one growing in my front yard and threw it in a pot because it seemed like a good bonsai species. I have heard of people growing bonsai with them around here. I'll post some pictures of it when I get home although its not much to look at right now. Needs a couple years growth.

Hi lackhand , mate i have no experience with this species but did manage a google search on this tree. It has good characteristics for bonsai and is relatively tough . Most certainly give it a shot .

Cheers Alpineart

Wear protection...Itchy little buggers!

Well here is a picture of the little twig in a pot. Hasn't lost any leaves (the top ones were half-brown when I dug it) and has grown a bit since I dug it up, so I think it's going to make it. From reading a bit more, it sounds like these have a strong upright habit, but are pretty slow to thicken the trunk, so I may be stuck with a small tree or a 50 year plan.
So now the question is trunk chop and go shohin (or maybe even mame size) or let it go nuts and hope the trunk will thicken?

lackhand wrote:So now the question is trunk chop and go shohin (or maybe even mame size) or let it go nuts and hope the trunk will thicken?

Hi Lackhand,
One of those questions that need some thought. Yes, if you want a thick trunk plant it out in the ground and let it go. If you want a smaller tree, you have some good little branches low down that you could work with.

Regards Ray

I know Rhus make good Bonsai and i have always wanted one. Toxidendron is the one i lust after but very difficult to obtain in Australia.

lackhand wrote: So now the question is trunk chop and go shohin (or maybe even mame size) or let it go nuts and hope the trunk will thicken?

What about doing both??

Provided those little branches down low don't die off let the top run wild and thicken the base..
Then cut - and develop the lower branches.

Or.

Potentially layer the top off to put in ground and grow and start developing said Shohin right away!

Personally I love the idea of having two of the same tree's - I think it's some of the most sound advise I've ever read/received.
Test case tree #1 to get stuck into right away (and learn) and tree #2 to just sit back and contemplate a little more carefully employing knowledge and tactics learned from "test case" tree #1.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the feedback!

Boics wrote:Personally I love the idea of having two of the same tree's - I think it's some of the most sound advise I've ever read/received.
Test case tree #1 to get stuck into right away (and learn) and tree #2 to just sit back and contemplate a little more carefully employing knowledge and tactics learned from "test case" tree #1.

Good luck!

I've had that idea in the back of my mind for a bit now, seems like really sound advice. I've discovered a little brother growing a few feet from where I dug this one, but I think I'm just going to let it grow there for now since it's even smaller. I'll just cut it so it doesn't grow too high while I experiment with this one. I've thought about layering the top off this one, but it's so small I would probably just treat it as a cutting.

And thank the bird who brought the seeds and "planted" them under the tree in my front yard! There is another little stick growing down there with leaves I don't recognize, but I'm keeping an eye on it too.