AusBonsai

Did a demo in September on loaned trees and bought 2 of them from the owner. The clerendendron was about 40cm when I started but had been allowed to 'do its own thing' for a couple of years and it had 3 major branches but no real apex... but a nice trunk. I cut it back considerably at the demo and after having it home for a week took the sidecutters to it and stumped it. In retaliation it sat on the bench and would have thumbed a nose at me if it had one. 3 months later nature took the upper hand and it shot first one than a second shoot.... right where I wanted. How good is that!! Within several weeks the apical shoot is 20 cm tall and thickening rapidly and the side shoot is about 12 cm long and thickening even faster.
I know this species is nicknamed Indian Privet but it is still amazing how fast it grows. I am planning on doing more assiduous wiring on this tree than my past cleros and get it to resemble those beautiful ones at the AABC Gold Coast convention. And I well know how fast they grow and how much pruning they need. Once the branches are more solid I will trim the cut back and naturalise it.

3 months after the stumping and it has had its first cutback with the branching hardening off well. Still early days but with a great deal of guidance it is going to be a nice tree in a couple of years.