Scrub Oak Bonsai

The solitary or paired brown acorns are 1 3 cm long and 1 2 cm broad and pointed or egg shaped with thin caps when mature.

Scrub oak bonsai. It has variable dull green leaves which are 1 5 3 centimeter long and 1 2 centimeter broad leathery on their top surfaces and somewhat hairy underneath. Coast live oaks the most commonly used species in bonsai locally are readily available for collection in our area and have smooth bark and leaves with a slight curl and spines on the edge. But even when one sows and acorn the taproot may grow quicker than the above ground sapling. Nice open structure to see branching.

Bonsai trees from oak may be tricky. Trimming a shrub oak reduces vertical growth. Oak is not traditionally used for bonsai in japan but its use began in california in the 1950s. Trim again during the middle of the spring.

Oak have a deep tap root and will therefor need a serious root trimming when collected from the wild. The large trunks and small leaves of the oak create attractive miniatures of old full grown trees. In cooler more exposed areas scrub oak is usually a small compact shrub but in warm or sheltered areas the plant can spread out and grow several meters high. Follow with a third trim the first week of august.

Elevation about 3500 feet in sonoran desert type area. The best time to trim is soon after the chance of frost in the area has passed before spring growth. So preparation is required when sowing oaks. Scrub oak in joshua tree national park july 2016.

Three other excellent species for bonsai are the california oaks the coast live oak quercus agrifolia the golden cup oak quercus chrysolepis and the california scrub oak quercus berberifolia. All are evergreen oaks and both respond well to wire training and root pruning. Utilizing three trimming sessions prevents shrub oaks from excessive growth and makes them manageable. Flowers are yellow but inconspicuous.

It grows up to 6 meters in height. Just like you would do when planting saplings in full ground to grow a trunk. What is do is sow the acorn on top of a tile burried in the ground.