Sageretia theezans.
This tree was originally imported to Australia from Germany around 1990, but it is suspected it made its way into Germany from China. I purchased it from a Bonsai nursery as raw material in 2018, and saw rapid development over the next few years until it was subsequently sold when I moved to New Zealand.
I was originally attracted to the subtle and graceful movement in the trunk, along with the exquisite flaking and peeling multi-coloured bark.
They are a fantastic species to work with and I would love to get my hands on another one if it became available.
Tree as purchased in July 2018
Sep 2018. Basic branch structure set and potted into an oversized ceramic. This species handles root reduction well, but I was still cautious as the tree was not in prime health.
Jan 2019. Beginning to refine the branch structure and structure of the tree. Note the 'pyramid' shape, which is set with the heavy branches, but then encouraged to grow out of later down the road
Jan 2019. Basic deadwood carving done at this time.
March 2019. Managing new growth and putting more natural movement into branching. See how 'pyramid' shape has been lost with further development of growth.
June 2019. Further development of branches, tree starting to take on a 'natural' appearance. In my opinion the dimensions here are the best for the tree. As development continued I pulled the branching in a little too tight and it lost some of the 'natural' charm.
June 2019. Re-potted into vintage Chinese tray. A perfect match in my eyes. The tray doesn't pull focus away from the tree at all, but rather compliments the graceful nature and colours.
November 2019. In full flush and peak health. While the crown is full and nicely ramified, in retrospect I feel the silhouette has become a little too 'managed'. It has lost some of its natural look.
Dec 2019. The tree more or less as sold, minus the pot which I kept.
Dec 2019. Me next to the tree for scale.
Roots wrapped and ready to be picked up by the new owner. I was happy knowing it was going into the care of one of the best in Australia.