Welcome to another in-depth analysis on developing bonsai material from a native tree species.

Today I am sharing a new tree in my collection.

Coast Redwood

The Latin scientific name is Sequoia sempervirens.

The Coast Redwood is a conifer with refreshingly soft needles. The needles stay attached to the tree all year long, and remain green. Mature trees will form a pinecone.

Therefore, it is categorized as an evergreen.

Historical Information

ID: 0072
Nickname: Cirdan
Type: Coast Redwood
Age: Approx. 2 years
Grown: From bare root
Last repotting: February 18, 2024
Wired: February 18, 2024

Some of goals on this tree is to learn as much as I can from it, being a new species I have not yet worked with before. Peculiarly, I want to learn if the young or old shoots can be made into new tree cuttings, or if the root forms suckers that can be made into cuttings.

This tree was planted in February of this past year.

A Slanting Trunk

Sometimes when a tree is freshly planted, the tree becomes weakened immediately. Exposure of the roots to the air, sunlight, and temperature change can quickly alter the texture of the green tissue, and it starts to become floppy, or worse, fold over. After planting, even when planted straight, a young tree might sag, tip over, or even fall out of the pot, leaving the roots exposed, causing a hastened plant death.

C'mon folks, leave them trees alone. Sheesh!

Believe it or not, a tilting tree is one of the earliest warning signs that the tree is stressing or drying. If a tree has no structural roots that hold it firmly in place, it diverts energy to attempt to regrow new structural roots. However, doing so will prevent needles from forming, slow down energy production, stress the tree, and invite nearby insects and bacteria to attack the weakened and new roots.

My solution here was to surround the tree with many heavy rocks to press the roots firmly into a soft compost soil similar to what it arrived in. The lowest base of the tree was planted straight upright, and an inch above it I allowed the trunk to keep the natural slanting bend. A wire coming out from the pot in the soil is wrapped around the trunk to further hold the tree solidly in the center.

Every day is a winding road

Very little growth occurred between February and April (pictured above). In fact, I often pinch off some of the extra buds in the early Spring, so the tree can focus on creating more buds or extending branches from ideal structural locations, such as where the trunk bends away.

This young tree does have a tendency to sucker a bunch around the low trunk at its juvenile age. This is good to encourage, as I think it will cause the trunk to thicken at the base much more quickly. Any branches that add no value to the functional and artistic shape of the tree can be trimmed off later on, and the tree will only benefit in increased health and aesthetic beauty.

By May, the tree has changed very little. The only change I noticed is that the trunk seemed a bit less green and more woody.

Back in February I did not dare add any wire to bend the trunk, because I only wanted the roots to settle in.

In April, wire was shaped around the trunk, but I could feel the greenwood fibers were starting to stretch and split slightly even when the bends were minimal or close to another bend.

In May, the wood had increased in strength, and increased in flexibility, allowing for more dramatic bends in the trunk. At the topmost part of the trunk, the greenwood is most tender, so I had to relax my urge to bend the wood too much in that area.

Summer Growth Explosion

Growing mostly in the full sun, even during a three week heat spell, the tree has quickly multiplied with many new shoots extending out in all directions. More buds, and more branches, and the trunk is extending into a new advantageous upward branch.

It is now July 31, 2024

Here is the back view.

The trunk is almost completely obscured by the foliage around the base. It is still holding to the wire bent into an S-shape, ending in a lateral horizonal direction on top.

From above, we can see the beautiful branches fanning out naturally in all directions to absorb as much sunlight as possible without overlapping its own branches too much.

I am really enjoying growing this species, because it has many advantages that other traditional bonsai trees lack.

The needles are small and dense growing. The green varies in shades of deep forest green to light avocado green at the tips. Unlike other conifers, old needles do not turn yellow or brown as long as the tree is healthy. The thick foliage shades the trunk, roots, and soil, helping it to survive heat and retain moisture. The wood is extremely flexible for creating dramatic shapes. It is fast growing, and appears to heal well from pruning, which is fantastic for hobbyists wanting to practice their pruning skills.

My favorite thing about this tree is the super supple needles. They are almost identical to the Dawn Redwood, except this tree is more hardly and does not lose its needles or change color.

For people who love to touch plants, this one is a winner. It feels akin to coarse dog fur, and not prickly sharp. Touching or pinching the needles also releases a slight citrus, pine scent, which I adore.

One final view of the tree growing on our back porch in the dappled shade. The light and shade in the breeze cause this tree to dance among all the luscious shades of green.

On the metaphysical side, I swear this tree has a healing energy to it, uplifting everything around it. If any of my trees are capable of absorbing bad/evil energies, I bet it would be this one. Very resilient against diseases and pests, and it appears stronger every day. While my other trees are looking parched and thirsty for water on hot days, this guy is practically daring me to test its limits, like a body builder on a keto diet.

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