Turning a Giant Tree into a Tiny Bonsai
Channel: Rōjin Bonsai
Date: 2023-11-17

in this video we are addressing the common mistake on identifying dawn redwood/bald cypress. After styling a tree I some what believed to be a dawn redwood and posted a video about it.. turns out I was wrong and it's a bald cypress. it's an easy mistake to make when the tree in the video showed characteristics from both species but was the autumn colour that came was the dead give away. with the help from Syed Abbass from the b4me team we compared the tree and the conclusion was this tree is infact a Bald Cypress tree (actually happy about that as they are harder to come by in the uk and cost alot more) 

link to Syed Abbass instagram if you want to check out his bonsai, koi, and owls  https://instagram.com/owlsandbonsais?igshid=MzMyNGUyNmU2YQ==

his page is definitely worth a visit to see some amazing shots and videos. 


now on to the video bits.

we talk about the differences between the two trees so they are easily Identified as I'm sure I am not the only one this has happened to and that no one has outwardly picked up it's not a dawn redwood in the video to. 

the differences are 


The dawn redwood tree is botanically known as Metasequoia glyptostroboides. Its needles are opposite on the stems (an easy way to identify it). It's a fast grower and can reach a height of 70 to 120 feet and a width of 25 feet. People confuse it with the bald cypress which is also deciduous. It thrives in sunny locations that receive at least six hours of sun daily and tolerates moist soils and some poor drainage. However, it is adaptable to different types of soil and some drought conditions. A magnificent specimen can be seen in Juilliard Park off Santa Rosa Avenue, in Santa Rosa.

The bald cypress is botanically known as Taxodium distichum, and its needles are alternate on the stems (another easy identification tool). Its growth rate is moderately slow and it can reach a mature height of 40 to 50 feet. If planted in a location that gets full sun and good drainage, the tree will put on faster growth. In autumn, it begins to lose leaves (needles) and becomes completely deciduous. New needles that are white underneath appear in spring. The bald cypress is versatile and can be grown in drier states but won't have "knees." These are outgrowths of the tree root systems when the trees grow in southern swamps.

Dawn Redwood can be distinguished from Bald Cypress by several characteristics - the buds develop on the underside of the branches not along the tops; the leaves are opposite, not alternate; the base of the trunk is fluted and buttressed; and the branches have rounded depressions below their junction with the trunk.

Both of these trees are extremely unique and special given how they adapt to growing in swampy or watery environments. In addition, The dawn redwood and the bald cypress both lose their needles during late fall, which is why the bald cypress is named such. You may not know this, but the dawn redwood is technically an ancient species of tree with fossil records dating back to the Mesozoic Era. This is something that the bald cypress does not share with it. 


also other channels I enjoy watching in no particular order.

@grobonsai 
@BonsaiCornwall 
@Bonsaicrazy 
@bobcatbonsai 
@D.RBonsai4601 
@thebonsaiprojectkernow 
@bonsaisforever 
@thetreestyler 
@XaviersBonsaiRetreat 
@houghtonbonsai 
@Steves_Backyard_Bonsai 
@LetsDoBonsai 


hashtags:

#bonsai #bonsaitree #japan #garden #workshop #baldcypress #agriculture #moss #gardener  #penjing #landscape #flower #chinese_bonsai