We’re once again at that time of year when new trees are coming out and demanding to be worked on. You may remember this “twin-stick” in a pot, a neat little parsley hawthorn, Crataegus marshallii. Although you can see the terrific trunk character in this small package, until there’s branches you don’t have a bonsai.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that’s some branches! I knew I had a 90% chance of the tree making it, and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. Not only has it produced a good supply of branches to choose from, they’re in the right places.

As a quick reminder, multi-trunk bonsai follow certain rules. The thinner trunks are usually behind the thicker ones, to help with visual perspective. They also have lower branching, which helps to create that illusion of depth and distance. The thinner trunks are not as tall as the thicker ones – same reason. And finally, for two- the three-trunk specimens the branching arrangement follows more or less the same pattern of a single trunk. So you’ll have a first branch on the appropriate side of the multi-trunks, a second branch on the opposite side, a back branch, and so on up the multi-trunks. The branches are farther apart in the bottom of the bonsai, becoming more closely spaced as you go upward.

 

 

 

And so, about 10 minutes later we have an initial styling on this great little parsley hawthorn. I think it’s going to make a terrific bonsai. The main trunk has a basal diameter of 1″ and is currently 21″ to the tip of the new leader. I left it long so it can quickly gain heft during this growing season. I want the finished height of this tree to be about 18″, with the smaller trunk not more than about 12″ tall.

The pot is a lovely Byron Myrick round.

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