It’s a given that I’ll have Bald cypresses budding out each year before just about everything else – Chinese elms usually being first. Because the BC’s I collect are mostly sourced south of where I am, they come with “memory” and bud at pretty much the same time their brothers still in the swamp do.

I mention this because most of the BC’s on my benches collected in years past are pushing buds. If we get a warm-up sometime in the next couple of weeks, which appears likely, these new specimens shouldn’t be far behind in signalling probable survival. It makes for an exciting time of year!

This is my favorite specimen from today’s haul. It’s not all that big – trunk 3.5″ measured 3.5″ above the soil, chopped at 20″ – but the buttress on it is “wicked.” This is going to make an outstanding BC bonsai.

This is a 3″ specimen, measuring 24″ to the chop. I think it’s a legitimate formal upright to be. The fluting is very good, as you can see.

The weather has taken a cold turn recently. Though we do alternate with moderate days, it seems that every weekend it turns cold again. As far as collecting trees is concerned, cold weather (I don’t mean bitterly cold freezing weather with frozen solid ground) is actually good. Down here it’s not at all uncommon for us to see fairly warm weather in February. Based on what I see in the forecast, that won’t be happening this year. I’m okay with that, as long as we don’t get freaky cold weather in March or April (which has been known to happen).

Here’s a nice specimen we brought home today. The base is 3.5″, which makes for a nice “statement” tree. Height is one of the key natural features of Bald cypress, giving the species much of its character. When you have great taper and a nice flaring fluted base, you’re just a set of branches away from a great bonsai.

Here’s another 4″ specimen. The flaring base is a great feature and will give an instant look of age.

I love this time of year – but only for the opportunity to collect new material. The weather is cold, often wet and just nasty. I hate winter!

But the new BC’s do come home, with some work of course. Here’s one of the new specimens, a nice 4″ trunk and destined to be a formal upright.

Sometimes, when the taper is right, we end up with a shorter specimen. Even though the trunk measures 4″ on this one, it’s chopped at only 22″.

It’s also a toss-up as to which front is the front. I haven’t made up my mind yet. What do you think?

And I’d love to hear what you think of this group of BC’s.

The willows are coming out now, down south of us, and the swamp maples are blooming. When you add to that the fact that I have some BC’s on my benches that are showing green buds, I think it’s time to call the collecting season done for 2021.

Here’s the star of the show for today. Check out the knee behind the tree. It’s definitely connected to the trunk, so if it roots then I’ve got a special tree on the bench. I think this is the best front for the tree.

This one has a 3″ trunk, with nice radial roots and outstanding character. And you have to love the change of direction in the trunk. I see a flat-top here.

Finally for today, this is an even smaller specimen sporting a 2″ base (chopped at 20″). While it’s also hard to make out in the photo, this one has subtle fluting in the trunk and that’s really unusual for a specimen this small. Nice flare and roots at the base as well.

I’d love to hear what you think of today’s catch.

We went after some additional smaller specimens today, and we had great success. This one has a 3.5″ trunk and is chopped at 25″. Very nice start on an informal upright BC bonsai.

Although this tree doesn’t fit the “smaller material” category – the base is 4.5″ – I couldn’t leave it behind. I chopped it at 22″, so it’s a chunkier speciment than most this size. Nice fluting.

Here’s another one of those big guys, though fortunately not quite as large as last week’s big ones. Check out the flutes and the basal flare. Really outstanding material.

One possible front.

A third possibility. Also good, but I still like number 2 best.

We were lucky enough to find some smaller trees this time as well. This one, which has flat-top written all over it, is 3.5″ across just above the soil and stands 29″ at the chop.