Bonsai Mauritius

xtolord

I often find interesting stuffs when working on my plants, be it a normal plant or a (pre)bonsai.
Sometimes the projects works, other times they don't work.
My best example would be my mame root bonsai : http://maubonsai.blogspot.com/2013/03/ligustrum-011-mame-progression-from-root.html
It was just a root cutting that I kept because it had an interesting look to it, and now its one good track to become a nice mame.

My new project is a cuphea mini root that I salvaged during a repotting session.
It was from the cuphea entered in the last OfBonsai Ryuga contest : http://ofbonsai.org/contest/ryuga-2013/entry-cuphea-hyssopifolia-false-heather-mauritius

At first I was not having much expectation for this plant, but now its starting to get more and more appeal to my eyes. I have various ideas for the foliage disposition, but what I know for sure is that I want to try and create a " bunjin (literati) shohin cuphea".

Lets translate that last bit :
Bunjin / Literati = Its a "bonsai style" difficult to define precisely, this style breaks many rules but nevertheless the trees have an air of refined elegance. The slender trees in japanese paintings (sumi-e) had an abstract, calligraphic quality that was the inspiration behind cultivating bonsai in this style.

"Pine Trees" (left hand screen) by Hasegawa Tōhaku (Japanese, 1539–1610).
The painting has been designated as National Treasure in the paintings category.

Bunjin Bonsai / Literati Bonsai

Shohin = Shohin-bonsai are 20 cm / 8 inches and under. Basically small sized bonsai ( yes there are BIG sized bonsai, some over 3m high! )

Cuphea = Is the name of the plant. In this case a Cuphea hyssopifolia.

The parent tree

During the repotting session I decided to remove the foliage on the bottom left close to the trunk.

Turns out to have its own root system

I did an initial repotting. I placed it rather deep into a pot, leaving only a small section out to maximize rooting chances.

After some free growing the tree seems to have well rooted and gain back its vigor

Close-up on the formation of aerial roots

Repotting - you can see how the root system has toughen since the first repotting

Removing the aerial roots.
This section will be the new apex of the future bonsai, this means that I don't need the aerial roots.
I'm trying to create a bunjin here, this means feminine trunk line, not a bulky masculine trunk line.