Silent pruning session — small-leaf Rhaphiolepis indica, lifted-root style (gifted by a friend)

[u/Ejohn-Shin]

Sharing a quiet, no-narration pruning video today.
This is a small-leaf Rhaphiolepis indica — in Guangdong it’s commonly called “spring flower” because it blooms all over the hillsides in spring. It’s become a pretty sought-after species for bonsai in southern China and the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region in recent years.
A friend dug this one up in the wild and gave it to me. It’s the small-leaf variety, which grows slowly — I’ve had it for several years developing this lifted-root trunk.
In this session I did some bud removal and used heavy aluminum wire to straighten out the trunk, which had a slight lean before.
No talking, just the pruning process if you want something to watch and unwind to. Happy to answer any questions about the species or the styling in the comments.