I like Lilacs for Bonsai and I have three under development and I have found another species of Lilac that just might make for a great Bonsai tree. I have never seen this type of Lilac for sale in Colorado before. So this will be a new experience for me to see just how well this tree work out? The new species is a Syringa laciniata also commonly referred to as a Cutleaf Lilac. The tree I purchased arrived from Oregon where it was grown as nursery stock. The tree already had mature flacky bark on the bottom of the tree and even extends up on the main trunks. It also has some very nice nebari to go with the trunk that has movement in it. The branches also have nice movement. I spent a couple of hours just removing dead branches and snapping off several dead trunks close to the main trunks. The more dead branches/trunks I removed the more the tree began to show itself. This tree will be designed in a more traditional approach with the branches growing up towards the sun. There is one large branch almost growing horizontally in the upper apex. I think I will remove this branch, but I could change my mind. The leaves on the tree should be around 2-3 inches long or smaller according to Dr. Google. It does have small flowers for a Lilac. Planted in the ground it can reach 7 feet tall. I like the base of the trunk a lot which was what attracted me to it. How well the tree does as a Bonsai will depend on the leaves. So I am hoping for the best and we will see. I was not able to find any examples of this species of Lilac being used for Bonsai on google.
Syringa laciniata by Oregon State University
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia
Gallery 03-14-2021:
Well as of this post there is a major blizzard going on. With nothing other to do except shovel snow. I decided to go a head and design this Lilac Bonsai. I did manage to accidently tear a medium size branch of the trunk. I think it looks pretty good and I did see a few branches in the photos that need tweaking. I look forward to spring to see how it will look. My biggest problem is it is now starting to bud out! I will add to the few others in the garage that need to go outside during the day after the snow clears.
Gallery 03-10-2021:
