Time to share more bonsai trees from my collection.

Here is another coniferous tree. It's an arborvitae, which is closely related to Cedar/Thuja.

Since I recently did some work on this tree, I can show you the results of the minor changes.

It's the end of July and very hot. The yellow tips on this tree are still forming out into new buds which will become needles this year, and branches in future years. Any changes I make to the shape of this tree will impact the growth angle of these newest buds and needles. They always grow upwards to find the sun. Older needles will also flex towards the light.

From a top view, you can see the young branches tend to lay flat together. My aim was to use the wires already on the tree to open this tree up a little bit wider, and angle the needles into more outward directions instead of mostly upward.

Now it looks entirely different from the top. New branch shapes are now exposed to the sight of the viewer. Needles and bark will receive far more sunlight now.

One of the main differences to the style of the tree is the top branch. It has been angled back. Since it's already very thick at the top, I've bent it back to offer the thinner branch in the center of the tree a chance to become the new leader. Having this become the new top of the tree will greatly improve the taper of the trunk, with a thick base and a narrower crown.

Before and After

The smooth red bark on this tree makes a beautiful contrast to the emerald green needles. These needles almost never dull in color year round.

This tree is very easy to grow in my climate, and it's easy to train as a bonsai.

Photos in this post are all #originalworks by @creativetruth, unless stated otherwise.

Find me on discord and chat with other tree growers, bonsai enthusiasts, and gardeners. We have quite a few accredited experts filling out our ranks, and a helpful Spanish-speaking community.