Page 44 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2016Q3

Techniques in Creating Tropical Bonsai:

Clerodendrum aculeatum

By José Luis Rodriguez Macias, Puerto Rico

I recognized that or those of us living in a tropical setting, consider to be the fundamentals on having world class
the vast majority we have often faced the misconception that material:
of technical tropical bonsai is only suitable as indoor • Species selection
bonsai. Also, many have marveled at the
knowledge used Fspectacular bonsai hailing from Asia and • Resistance to Pruning
• Leaf Character: Small, shiny, green, rounded
to train temperate often wondered if such a level is possible or even and with a thick lamina
trees in Japan was plausible in our backyards. For a long time, the focus Immediately, I began to weed out certain plants
not suitable for our of attention and center of knowledge for an immense that did not meet the aforementioned characteristics
tropical species. population of tropical bonsai enthusiasts was Japan and kept those who met the criteria. Among the select
and many of the techniques employed on temperate individuals who made the cut was Clerodendrum
trees found their way to tropical material. Years ago aculeatum (Clerodendrum), a coastal species in the
and after first seeing the quality bonsai from Taiwan Lamiaceae family and a close relative to Premna
and Indonesia, I recognized that the vast majority of microphylla. In Taiwan, there is also a species of
technical knowledge used to train temperate trees was Clerodendrum suitable for bonsai called Ku Lan
not suitable for our local species. Furthermore, I was Pan, Clerodendrum inerme, known as Pacar Laut in
able to identify three pivotal characteristics, which I Indonesia and Inerme in the Philippines. The latter, is

42 | BCI | July/August/September 2016