Acacia in the Pierneef open umbrella style.
The following information has been copied from
http://www.zululandbonsai.co.za/
(Additional personal experience will be added in bold.)
The most successfully grown acacia for bonsai are:
- Acacia burkei – black-monkey thorn / swartapiesdoring.
- Acacia caffra – common hook thorn / gewone haakdoring.
- Acacia erioloba – camel thorn thorn / kameeldoring.
- Acacia galpinii – monkey thorn / apiesdoring
- Acacia karoo – sweet thorn / soetdoring.
- Acacia nigrescens – knob thorn / knoppiesdoring.
- Acacia robusta subsp. clavigera – narrow-pod robust thorn / brakdoring
- Acacia robusta subsp. robusta – broad-pod robust thorn / enkeldoring.
- Acacia sieberiana var.wookii – paperbark thorn / papierbasdoring
- Acacia senegal var. rostrata - Driehaakdoring
- Acacia erubscens- Blouhaak
Bark – Most acacia bark is rough and has a tendency to flake. The exception to this is Acacia karroo, which has fairly smooth bark when young.
Trunks – Acacia trunks are usually flexible and single when young but at a later stage split into low, heavy branches. Healing is relatively easy if the tree in encouraged to expand. Pruning back will, in most cases, result in a crop of new branches. Tapering may be problematic as the trees carry only a few sparse branches at a time.
Branches – The branches are often mistaken for multi-trunks due to their size and the fact that ramification is poor. The branches are known to weaken if they are grown in a descending manner. It is therefore in the trees’ best interest that it is treated as it is in nature with a short trunk and low, ascending branches. There should be no evidence of a definite apex, but rather a crown formed by a multitude of branch ends.
Leaves – The species has difficulty in forming a large number of small branches, but this is compensated for by compound, bipinnate leaf formation. Each branch bears a long leaf stalk and a multitude of leaflets which take the place of fine twigs.
In January 2014 I took these pics of an Acacia with an amazing nebari - the biggest nebari I have ever seen on the species:
20cm high Acacia senegal var. rostrata 2 years in training in the Pierneef style:
White Monkeythorn:
White Monkeythorn:
Black Monkeythorn:
This Monkeythorn is 30 years in training and grown from seed:
Black Monkeythorn 20 years grown from seed:
African Bonsai Styles
1. Baobab Style
2. Pierneef Style / Open umbrella Style
3. Flat Top StyleBushveld or Natural Style (Shizen-zukuri)
4. Bushveld or Natural Style (Shizen-zukuri)
Images courtesy of SA Bonsai
Hello, I have a blouhaak bonsia, but recently the smaller branches dies. Any advice
ReplyDeleteplease help, I planted my acacia seeds 2 weeks ago and nothing is showing, my team members planted their on the same day and 1 week later a green pod rose from the soil, did I kill my seed by overwatering it? how do I know my seed is still alive
ReplyDelete