At first glance, my submission for the Artisans Cup doesn't scream "American Bonsai." The main tree, a Korean hornbeam, is a collected specimen from Korea. The second tree is a popular species for bonsai - Japanese black pine. That said, the composition owes as much to the U.S. as it does to Japan. My starting point for the hornbeam was a trunk. I developed the branches over the past 10 years. My starting point for the pine was a seed. I didn't know much about bonsai at the time, but I had a passion for growing plants and a love of pines. The tree is now 21 years old. The methods used to develop these trees are heavily influenced by Japanese techniques, but I owe the bulk of my knowledge to U.S. bonsai teachers. My aim in styling these trees is to bring out the characteristics that make pine and hornbeam popular varieties for bonsai - interesting trunk and surface roots, fine branching and the ability to develop foliage that is in scale with the tree.

Korean Hornbeam / Carpinus turczaninowii

Estimated Age:  50 years old
Time in Training: 10 years
Origin: Korea
Container: Reiho
Stand: not provided