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tombob_gw

Native Midwestern Trees for Bonsai

tombob
9 years ago

I live in southern Illinois, in a heavily forested region. There are conifers and deciduous trees in abundance.

Are there any native trees that can be adapted to bonsai?

Comments (4)

  • moochinka
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Almost any native trees are better than exotic stuff, but if you haven't experience or knowledge re how and when to dig what, get in touch with local bonsai clubs and they'll help you. The timing is very important and how you do it matters a lot too - it's not like just digging up something out there and plonking it in your backyard :-). But not that different either. You'll have to wait for spring now of course.

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Probably one or two:

    PINE PINACEA

    Eastern White Pine Pinus Strobus
    Compacta
    Contorta
    Fastigiata
    Fastigata var. glauca
    Minima
    Nana
    Pindula
    Prostrata
    Pumila

    Jack Pine Pinus Banksiana
    Uncle fogy

    Red Pine Pinus Resinosa

    Short Leaf Pine Pinus Echinata

    Virginia Pine Pinus Virginiana

    Pitch Pine Pinus Rigda
    Sherman Eddy
    Little Giant

    LARCH LARIX

    Tamarack Larix Laricina

    SPRUCE PICEA

    Black spruce Picea Mariana
    Doumetii
    Nana
    Ericoides
    White Spruce Picea Glauca
    Albertiana
    Conica
    Densata

    HEMLOCK TSUGA

    Canadian Hemlock Tsuga Canadensis
    100's of cultivars all of which are Canadensis

    FIR ABIES

    Balsam Fir Abies Balsamea
    Hudsonia
    Nana

    BALD CYPRESS TAXODIUM DISTICHUM

    Monach of Illinois
    Pendens
    Shawnee Brave

    YEW TAXUS

    Canadian Yew Taxus Canadensis
    Stricta Pyramidalis

    CEDAR - CYPRESS CUPRESSACEAE

    Northern White Cedar Thuja Occidentalis
    100's of cultivars
    Aurea
    Canadian Green
    Douglasii Aurea
    Emerald
    Globosa
    Little Gem

    JUNIPER JUNIPERUS

    Common Juniper Juniperus Communis
    Compressa
    Depressa
    Depressa Aurea
    Green Carpet

    Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus Virginiana
    Canaetii
    Cupressifolia
    Glauca
    Globosa
    Kosteri
    Pyramidalis

    Creeping Juniper Juniperus Horizontalis
    Admirabilis
    Bar Harbor
    Blue Mat
    Emerald Spreader
    Hughes
    Plumosa
    Plumosa Fountian
    Wiltonii Blue Rug

    WILLOW SALIX

    Pussy Willow Salix Discolor

    BIRCH BETULA

    Paper Birch Betula Papyrifera
    Yellow Birch Betula Alleghaniensis
    River Birch Betula Nigra

    OAK QUERCUS

    White Oak Quercus Alba
    Bur Oak Quercus Macrocarpa
    Chesnut Oak Quercus Prinus
    Swamp White Oak Quercus Bicolor
    Chinkapin Oak Quercus Muehlenbergii
    Northern Red Oak Quercus Rubra
    Black Oak Quercus Velutina
    Pin Oak Quercus Palustris
    Northern Pin Oak Quercus Ellipsoidalis
    Shingle Oak Quercus Imbricaria

    HOP - HORNBEAM OSTRYA

    Eastern Hop-Hornbeam Ostrya Virginiana

    HORNBEAM CARPINUS

    American Hormbeam Carpinus Caroliniana

    BEECH FAGUS

    American Beech Fagus Grandifolia

    ELM ULMUS

    American Elm Ulmus Americana
    Slippery Elm Ulmus Rubra
    Rock Elm Ulmus Thomasii

    HACKBERRY CELTIS

    American Hackberry Celtis Occidentalis

    WITCH - HAZEL HAMAMELIS

    Common Witch-Hazel Hamamelis Virginiana

    APPLE MALUS

    Sweet Crabapple Malus Coronaria
    Prairie Crabapple Malus Ioensis

    CHERRIES & PLUMS PRUNUS

    Black Cherry Prunus Serotina
    Pin Cherry Prunus Pensylvanica
    Common Chokecherry Prunus Virginiana
    American Plum Prunus Americana
    Canada Plum Prunus Nigra

    SERVICE BERRIES AMELANCHIER

    Allegheny Serviceberry Amelanchier laevis

    HAWTHORNS CRATAEGUS

    Frosted Hawthorn Crataegus Pruinosa
    Scarlet Hawthorn Crataegus Pedicellata
    Cockspur Hawthorn Crataegus Galli
    Downy Hawthorn Crataegus Mollis

    REDBUD CERCIS

    Eastern Redbud Cercis Canadensis

    MAPLE ACER

    Sugar Maple Acer Saccharum
    Black Maple Acer Nigrum
    Red Maple Acer Fubrum
    Striped Maple Acer Pensylavanicum
    Mountain Maple Acer Spicatum
    Silver Maple Acer Sacharinum

    HORSE CHESTNUT AESCULUS

    Yellow Buckeye Aesculus Octandra
    Ohio Buckeye Aesculus Glabra

    DOGWOOD CORNACEA

    Flowering Dogwood Cornus Florida
    Alternate-leaf Dogwood Cornus Alternifolia
    Rough leaf Dogwood Cornus Drummandii
    Red-Osier Dogwood Cornus Stolanifera

    TUPELO NYSSA

    Black Tupelo Nyssa Sylvatica

    LAUREL KALMIA

    Mountain Laurel Kalmia Latifolia

    RHODODENDRON RHODODENDRON

    Rose bay Rhododendron Rhododendron Latifolia

    PERSIMMON DIOSPYROS

    Common Persimmon Diospyros Virginiana

    mababonsai.org

    © Copyright 2014 Mid-America Bonsai Alliance and the individual authors.

    Al

  • tombob
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    All of these trees can be bonsai? Some are surprising given the size of their leaves or needles.

    Thanks for posting!

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It's MABA's list, not mine. I agree that some of the trees don't seem to be prime bonsai candidates. I posted mainly to illustrate there are probably a lot more opportunities growing wild than most of us might guess.

    Al