Scientific name: Juniperus Californica

Origin: California, USA

Distinguishing feature: These are highly desirable bonsai materials because these trees are naturally gnarly with ample dead wood, jin and shari. The growth rate is typically a small fraction of a mm per year, and only a small fraction of the collected tree survive because tap root is deep, and there are very few fibrous roots to enable survival.

Trees like this are collected in the high elevation, whereas those collected in lower elections have straight growth and less contortion and are thus less desirable.

Style: Semi-cascade

History: It was bought in 2020 at the Mammoth auction. I cut back severely to shape the tree and reoriented in this pot uing my standard potting soil.

The thickest portion (in this case measured diagonally) is 10”, and is therefore estimated to be about 500 years old. It will fill out quickly.