PRUNUS

I always admired sturdy old hollow trunks of Japanese apricot - Prunus mume. I was attracted with fantastically old trunks even more then with it's flowers.

 

Od nekdaj sem občudoval zdelana, votla debla Japonskih marelic - Prunus mume. Fantastična stara debla so me privlačila še bolj kot cvetovi.

 

Source: flickr.com

Source: flickr.com

 

But already in my first bonsai-years I discovered, that there is species native to our territory, which has almost the same character as Prunus mume - Prunus mahaleb. At Karst one can find super-old hollow trees with fantastic bark which are incredible similar to those trees admired in Japanese books. Yes, of course, Prunus mahaleb has smaller flowers, but I am talking here about character of the tree. So here is one example of Prunus mahaleb, collected and styled by Miha Medveššek, member of TORA international bonsai school:

 

Toda že zgodaj v mojih bonsajskih letih se odkril, da imamo tudi domačo vrsto, ki ima skoraj povsem enak karakter kot Prunus mume - Prunus mahaleb. Na Krasu se da najti zelo stara, votla drevesa s fantastično skorjo, ki so neverjetno podobna drevesom, ki jih občudujemo v japonskih knjigah. Seveda ima rešelika manjše cvetove, toda govorim o karakterju drevesa. Tu je primer rešelike, ki jo je izkopal in oblikoval Miha Medvešek, član šole TORA:

Prunus mahaleb, March 2013

 

Above you can see 100yrs old tree as arrived to atelier. In just one year tree developed very good: is already in bonsai pot and after defoliation and last wiring is already showing it's potential. Who needs Japanese Prunus mume? :-)

 

Zgoraj lahko vidite 100-letno drevo, ko je prvič prišlo v atelje. V samo enem letu se je zelo dobro razvilo: je že v bonsajski posodi in po defoliaciji in žičenju že kaže svoj potencial. Kdo še potrebuje japonske Prunus mume? :-)

Miha adjusting branches on his Prunus mahaleb

Prunus mahaleb, Jun 2015

Detail of hollow trunk

 

Also upper part of trunk is hollow and very old

Prunus mahaleb, Jun 2015, white background