AusBonsai

I have been caretaking the bulk of a mates collection since he moved house a few months ago. Amongst the numerous trees is a lovely small ponytail in a garish chinese pot. Well I found my own yesterday while having a quick scan of the nursery while there getting other supplies.

They had several with similar sized trunks and twin heads but then at the back was this beauty, 6 heads and a massive noturally formed hollow, complete with resident snails. I was given a discount because "it is rotten out", I didnt bother telling her thats why I wanted it. I had never thought of Ponytail as a subject for bonsai but I am a sucker for potted oddities and this one is definitely that. It was very rootbound in a 12" pot with a base of about 10" in diameter. I repotted into this black glazed square I had handy, nice fit I think.

On reading the label they actually state bonsai as a possible use, has anyone ever seen any others as bonsai? Matt

That is one brilliant pony tail, I love it! I have two in my front yard..they are about 12ft tall. I think I'll try and talk the boys into digging them up for me to pot. There is one at the nursery I go to, it's been in the one pot forever. Next time I go there I'll take a photo and show you.
Loretta

i have 2 in plastic pots given to me by my bonsai master friend in town, I must say neither have a hole like that threw them. So the technique is to have a resident snail. I'm going out tonight to find me a snail and see if i get the same results

i think it's time to pot up my 2 pony tails.

that is a rippa good find

What a great find Matt, kind of reminds me of the cycads you see in bonsai pots in the tropics
Craig

Hi Matt
Ponytail Palm are noted as bonsai material. I prefer to just call them fantastic plants myself. I love them. I found this place down south that sold some nice sized ones real cheap but a very nasty frost wiped out many in our town a few years ago. I have at least 4 around the house in the ground or potted up. I would have thought something like this would kill it but looks not so I will have to get the snails carving out at least one of mine as well

Pol has some amazing old ones root bound in massive pots around the house. Oh and the bonsai artist coming to the AABC in Freo has the best example I have ever seen in the ground near the bonsai collection.
The way the grass laps at it adds that element of magic.

That ponytail is awesome! So is the bonsai setup... is that his front yard? I wouldnt be game to have mine out front, even with my 2 big dogs.

I really like the look of the bougy in the back of that shot.

Matt

I think there is a link to his collection on the WA bonsai site.
Otherwise I will find one later gota go

What a great find

Chris wrote:So the technique is to have a resident snail. I'm going out tonight to find me a snail and see if i get the same results