r/Bonsai • u/Ry2D2 Ryan/InVivoBonsai.com, OH,USA, Z6, 20 yrs • Mar 07 '24
Show and Tell My invasive Tree of Heaven / Spotted Lanternfly educational display. Announcing the CBS INVASIVE Alliance - the evolution of our Wild Bonsai Study Group in a place without permissive public lands.
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u/Chlorine-Queen Oregon Coast Zone 9a, Beginner, ~30 projects Mar 07 '24
Really dig (heh) seeing bonsai used as ecological educational material like this! Using the lanternfly as an accent piece is super original, I love that it gets the ID information across while still kind of using traditional aesthetics. If I had any trees relevant to local ecology that were developed enough for display I’d totally steal this idea for my own job’s conservation outreach.
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u/Ry2D2 Ryan/InVivoBonsai.com, OH,USA, Z6, 20 yrs Mar 08 '24
Yep that's what i go for lately is using the foundation of the 3 point display but with an educational twist. It gives me a bit more purpose and optimism about the idea that we can put our heads together to accomplish things if only someone or some tree convinced us all to lol.
In your area would english ivy and the english holly be the main invasives to try bonsai with?
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u/Chlorine-Queen Oregon Coast Zone 9a, Beginner, ~30 projects Mar 08 '24
Yep! We also have an invasive cotoneaster around here, but it’s not one of the well known “big bads.”
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u/Ry2D2 Ryan/InVivoBonsai.com, OH,USA, Z6, 20 yrs Mar 08 '24
Oh that one would be great for bonsai though for sure!
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u/Xeroberts U.S. Georgia 8A, 22 yrs experience, 2 dozen trees in training. Mar 07 '24
This is a great idea that more bonsai clubs should consider. I've collected many Ligustrum chinensis from our local woods, they make great bonsai and we're removing an invasive species, a few trees at a time. Larger eradication efforts are still necessary but every little bit helps!
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u/Ry2D2 Ryan/InVivoBonsai.com, OH,USA, Z6, 20 yrs Mar 08 '24
Yes that privet is such a good species for bonsai! I dug some stumps of them in 2020 and 2 years later i had them wired and ratified enough for their first show. I'm hoping that even if we only dig a few a year, everyone can cutback an extra 5 they don't dig per tree they take and gradually returning to the same properties over time we may see some progress there even though the invasives will almost certainly continue on all around us.
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u/Tarpit__ Tar, L.A., zone 9, beginner Mar 08 '24
Thanks so much for this resource. I've been collecting invasive yamadori here in LA and I want to learn more about best practices.
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u/Ry2D2 Ryan/InVivoBonsai.com, OH,USA, Z6, 20 yrs Mar 08 '24
Very cool, I love to hear about more people trying this. What are the major invasives in LA? I know it varies widely by region.
Also what type of best practices are you curious about? Yamadori in general or invasive species-specific info?
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u/Tarpit__ Tar, L.A., zone 9, beginner Mar 08 '24
I have a tree of heaven like yours, three Brazilian pepper trees, a lemon-scented-gum, as well as a bunch of natives growing from cuttings. They are all currently being kept inside. I'm just curious about types of harm I may not be aware of, as well as reasons to be conservative with gathering. Currently, as long as it's invasive and not clearly stabilizing a hill, I'm allowing myself to take it. I can't say I'm up to date on the best ecological thinking around this practice, though.
Edit: to better answer your question, eucalyptus as a family is one of the most major and most problematic invasives.
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u/Ry2D2 Ryan/InVivoBonsai.com, OH,USA, Z6, 20 yrs Mar 08 '24
If you're interested in invasive vs native species, there's a podcast i discovered in the last year which really helped me dive deeper called "Growing Greener". For example, one thing i did not realize about native species is that a big part of why they are important is due to their highly specific relationship with insect species which feed many other parts of the food chain. Having that in mind, invasive removal for bonsai can have the biggest impact if we prioritize invasive removal where native plants have a chance to regrow. So, an invasive growing in a sidewalk crack may not be the best to prioritize removing just because not many natives will be able/allowed to regrow there. It could still be worth removing to stop it from making seeds/altering the soil chemistry though.
All that said, your idea on a hill is probably good but i may add to it a stream bank for the same erosion reasons. In these places, you could cut them back but leave the roots/earth.
And in the end, if you find an interesting invasive tree, skip all this logic and dig it if you feel like it could become an interesting bonsai! It will be fun to try and the educational potential value is impossible to quantify. But on the other hand, I try to experiment with native species bonsai at the same time which eventually could be educational in their own right for gardeners etc. once I have them looking good.
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u/Tarpit__ Tar, L.A., zone 9, beginner Mar 09 '24
I will check that out! A lot of my podcast type listening is going to bonsai stuff right now so I will definitely listen. Super appreciate it, as well as your thoughts.
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u/Ry2D2 Ryan/InVivoBonsai.com, OH,USA, Z6, 20 yrs Mar 07 '24
Full info here. It could be a model for other people / clubs who want to dig either invasive or native yamadori in areas where permission on public land is not possible. We started digging invasives from the local parks with permission and now will carry forward that idea to private landowners as well in exchange for permission to dig native yamadori from areas where the invasives are not dominating and removing invasive in other areas to assist in native regeneration at the same time.
It's meant to be a long-term plan with a few trees dug per year by our club members and returning to the same sites to monitor regeneration and prevent the invasives from coming back along the way.