AusBonsai

Can you help. Do you know what this is? It was purchased as nursery stock for $15, but the staff didn't know what it was. I had to have it, but I have no idea what it is. Can anyone help?

Hi bonsai buddy
It look exactly like a Mexican cypress. I purchased a tree several months ago without knowing what it was and come to the conclusion it was a Mexican cypress.
read my [ID] thread it has some great info on it. Sorry I don't know how to attach the link.

[ID] help please Cypress maybe???
this is my thead

Not a Mexican Cypress. More like a Cupressus.

Cheers

Sorry Pup
you are right.

Pup wrote:Not a Mexican Cypress. More like a Cupressus.

Cheers

Thanks for that, now I am even more confused from what Wiki says

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus

Wiki says there are a stack of varieties of this family, and Mexican Cypress is one of them. Makes me want to go back to nursery on weekend and see if someone else might know what it is.
They all grow straight up, don't have any twin trunks, no deviation, just straight as an arrow. But once I cut the branches back, it makes a beautiful starter due to its slightly droopy needles. Most of the stock they had appeared to have shot up real quick early on as a seedling, so were not very useful for bonsai, but a few had thick trunks and were much shorter so I thought I'd give this a go. The trunk is like steel, you wouldn't try bending it, much too strong, but not sure if I should pick up a few more and create a nice forest of these guys or leave it as a single straight up and down.

Hi Buddy
I have been treating mine like a cypresses and has responded well. I have found that the trunk hardens very quickly so you are probably right when you say it won't bend so if you do get another one try to get a smaller one that is still flexible enough to bend the trunk. I had mine in wire for about a month and it kept shape, and I have just done a first proper style on it and I think in about another month I'll remove the wire to see how it holds. It does have that weeping quality about it, which in my opinion, can make for a good looking tree if styled correctly but this species is still new to me as well and I'm just feeling my way through. I would love to get another couple to experiment with as there is no info on these as bonsai. Maybe between us we can gather enough experience so others will have something to go on.
Once again, read my initial thread if you haven't already. There is some good info from other members in it.
Cheers
Damo

Yeah, I looked at your previous thread and read it, thanks. When I found this tree, I never intended it to be anything but a straight trunk, as I loved the strong upright feel it gives off. I will let you know later in the year how it has responded after I attempt to cut back and train it.

looks like an Arizona Cypress to me

cupressus arizonica

of the varieties, one or two were quite popular in garden nurseries so there are quite a few of them around