Ilex cornuta #2 - stick out your can, here comes the garbage man!

There won't be too many "traditional" Bonsai species on this blog, because I really don't have many types that have been grown historically (in Japan - which seems to matter the most).  I'll give anything a try if it has a nice trunk and is available! 

Today's spotlight is Ilex cornuta, aka Chinese Holly, and sometimes referred to as Horned Holly.  These were very popular plantings decades ago as they adapt well to the heat of the South, aren't prone to disease and make really handsome mature plantings.  The downside is they have thorns on the points of all the leaves, usually between 5-7, needle-sharp, and very stiff.  I've heard that some people have planted them outside the windows of their children's bedroom to discourage the kiddos from sneaking out in the night.  Ouch!

Despite being resilient in the landscape, the cuts and scrapes they bestow usually lead to them being unceremoniously ripped from the yard and disposed of.  They're now not nearly as common here as they once were.

February 2005. I was driving to work one morning and I saw down one of the streets a pile of green that was newly tossed to the curb.  Of course I brake for plants!  When I drove up, there were four large thorny balls of green, way overgrown and leggy, bare on one side (that originally faced the house) and roots in the air.  I asked the homeowner if he'd mind if I took these, and looking at me like I was crazy, he said, "sure, knock yourself out!"  At the time I drove a '97 Chevy Blazer, which seems roomy until you need to squeeze four clawing bushes which were each about 4 foot square, into the back.  As I'm shoving the uncooperative thorny mess inside, I'm slicing lines onto my arms and face.  It surprised me when I looked at myself after loading them and I was covered in blood!  They had to go home to soak in water and rehydrate, but that also gave me the opportunity to clean up.. I still needed to get to work!

The next day I pulled them from the soaking tubs and took my first photos.  The leaves had a whitish look to them which was actually thousands of tiny white scale.  These poor plants were as uncomfortable as I was loading them the previous day.  Here's a shot with a soda can next to the trunk:

All of those long overgrown branches had to go, plus this was a great way to get rid of all that scale.. they were on the leaves but not on the trunk.  Still, I sprayed the trunks with neem oil to kill any escapees (being careful not to get any on the roots).  After trimming the top and roots, this is the scene I was left with.  Much more manageable!

Potted up into a wash tub with free-draining Bonsai mix.  Although it wasn't as visible in the previous shots, in this photo the scars on the trunk are evident - injury from being pulled by a chain from the ground. 

2006 January.  Ilex cornuta are generally slow growing trees, this is the result of one year's unrestricted growth.  I wanted to see if there would be any die-back from the damage, and to give the roots as much energy as possible to recover.

 

 Long branches were cut back, and I found a much better trunk line from the back side of the tree. 

2006 April, a couple of months later now, and this tree is sending out new shoots happily.  I'm working on that first front, which has the better nebari (base) again.

Trimmed.  It wasn't cut back so much as thinned out.  Multiple sprouts come out of the ends of all the branches, and these need to be reduced to as few as possible.  Cutting back to a single lead is best, as it can be carved to create taper, but here I'm still leaving extra shoots, hedging my bets on a design change later.

 

 

2006 September.  This little tree really wants to grow!  I've gone back to the better front now, choosing the look of the whole tree over one feature.  I've read Bonsaiists say that you should design your tree based on the lower trunk and root spread (nebari).  The problem with a blanket statement like this is if you have a collected tree whose main structure isn't going to change, the "best" front should be chosen.  In other words, don't just go by the book!

I loved all the new growth, but needed to start developing the structure of the tree.  New wood on these take a while to lignify (turn from green and sappy to brown and woody), so the structure has to build gradually.

2007 February.  This species doesn't put on a lot of growth in the winter months, even in mild winters like we have here in Austin.  It's a summer tree!

The old wash tub is starting to crack and needs to be replaced.  Time for new shoes!  I also want to see how the roots are establishing.  The soil is washed and this is what I've got.  Front:

And backside:

In its new unglazed Chinese made Bonsai pot, it's starting to look a little better.

2007 November.  Nice growth this year helped to fill in the branches and the apex of the canopy.

Trimmed back and there is finally a rounded top to my tree.  I'd like for it to be even more rounded with a wider profile.  This is how broadleaf trees develop, and I'd like for it to have the look of an old broadleaf tree.

2009 February.  The open soil and semi-regular pruning have added density to the canopy.  There are a lot of shoots, but also a lot of leaves, and some of the leaves are blocking new branches from forming.

Instead of adding, this time I need to thin things out again.  I've cut back useless branches, cleared long shoots and cut many of the extra-long leaves in half to allow more light and air into the tree.

2011 March.  It is just developing slowly now.  I'm trying to develop the structure with a simple clip-and-grow, although occasionally I still need to wire a branch or two.  These are uncomfortable scratchy moments I don't look forward to!  The roots have completely filled the pot and drainage is beginning to be compromised.

 

 

 

Best thing to do is a repot.  Here is the brick of roots just out of the Bonsai pot.

I carefully combed the tangle of wrap-around roots out and cut them back, leaving room for more soil and room to grow.

Repotted back into its same container. 

 

 

 2012 April. The canopy is quite full, but I need to be careful to preserve the open areas as well.  A full helmet of foliage isn't what I'm after.

So here we are after cutting back.  Several smaller branches were removed and others were wired out to give a nice radiating feel. 

 

 

2013 July.  Growth seems to be slowing down a bit.  Next year it will need to be repotted again.  Now it needs a trim and thin of the abundant growth, especially at the top.

Reshaped and defined.  Each time I cut the branches I take out the oldest and largest leaves.  Also, any leaves that are growing on lignified wood are removed as well.  I'm going to be on the look out for a new pot for this one for next year. I'd love to find a hand-built Bonsai pot, maybe something a bit wider and oval or with rounded corners, and possibly glazed with some kind of ochre and earth tones.  This holly has produced berries here and there over the years, but not enough to make the red berries a determining color in choosing a pot. 

 

 

I've really enjoyed this tree over the years and only know of one other person who has one as a Bonsai.  Don't let the "horns" on the leaves scare you away if you find a good one.  They're out there being thrown away and need a good home! 

 

There is a little song in this Betty Boop cartoon that I seem to hum when thinking about finding trees like this that have been deemed trash!   :)

Click play and listen at about the 3:00 mark.