Entry: Chintok – Enriquebeltriana cretinifolia – Mexico – WITHDRAWN
ofBonsai Magazine
Before
Enriquebeltriana cretinifolia or known to the Mayan people as Chintok. This species has leaves similar to that of Terminalia mollineti (previously Bucida spinosa) but the growth habit is quit different, the branches usually can go in all directions, making clusters that are difficult to penetrate. The tree does not have thorns, but the growing tips are sharp like thorns. However, I believe this species is very good for bonsai art, as it can with stand 100% root pruning and rarely show any die back of branches, it has an nice yellowish rough bark, and creamy looking hardwood. It is susceptible to temperature below 10 degrees Celsius and it prefers humid soil. Currently it measures 110cm tall and 80cm wide.
What I saw in this particular tree when collected 3 years ago and loved, was the base of the tree and the old bark, which spreads nicely and provides a nice nebari with a good tapering and how the two trunks divide. I think this will make a very nice tropical looking tree. This upright tree will require a low pot, to provide a pleasing peaceful looking tree growing in a flat field, old enough to have endure the roughness of nature, shown by the dead wood, but strong enough to have regrown to a new balance. The tree will look more natural to some, although it will need much bending and branch selection to look that way. All the braches need to be placed in position and that’s why I decided to do the first branch selection and carving in the ground and then move the tree to a pot. Then new ramification is created and controled. The chopped trunks need to be carved so it will look more natural.
One Quarter Progression
For the first part of the progression series I like to submit a drawing of the design in my mind. I think it is a very important part to define what the likely possibilities are and see them before we start cutting things. This may be the second most important part of the series as it defines the artistic design and what are the things that need to be done. To me the most important part is the health of the tree as a pretty design on a dead tree would make this Ikebana and not bonsai. Having said this the drawing of this Enriquebeltriana shows the tree in more or less the same angle as it is planted, Showing more of the base of the tree, that I remember to be quite nice. The outside branches need to be lowered to create a more roundish umbrella look typical of many trees. I think this would be quite a nice peaceful tree, not very dynamic and with just a bit of drama from the deadwook in front, but that’s about it. It would be of an old tree growing in a flat land and showing the majestic canopy dwarfing everything else around (thus having an almost symmetrical canopy)
Half Way Progression
Enriquebeltriana is one of my favorite species to work with since it has small leaves it can create beautiful bark and long lasting deadwood. Also it can withstand heavy root prone, however this individual is an old tree and the response is relatively slow. The first work was to select the branches that are going to be used for the design. The rest is just letting the grow enough so some bending and positioning can be made. If I try to do so at this point I will easily lose some key branches, since the branches that I leaft don’t have the thickness to direct growth by themselves the tree can easily discard them. So first I need that the tree makes a physiological requirement of the branches I left before bending them, that will reduce the chance of losing some branches. It will look untied at current time, but bending with wire takes only a few hours, repotting a few minutes but waiting for the tree to grow Is the main task at this point. Since there is not much physical work done at this time I would like to add some of my thoughts on yamadori since I read some other entries on the subject . Collecting for some seems to be an unethical thing and visualize as those that collect trees as people that may be stilling trees from the nature. This would be very nice if you live in a country where they respect the nature, sadly in all countries at one time or another was not the case. Usually it takes time for most of the nature to be gone before it is appreciated. In my country were a lot of building takes place, all this natural places are being wiped out. So for me I rather try to save some trees, turn them into something people can appreciate as beautiful and see if I can get more people to join in and stop all the killing before species like Enriquebeltriana that have no use for people disappear.
Three Quarter Progression
Going back to the subject, the aim for this particular tree is of a multi branch tree with an umbrella shape. The main reason is the nebari that goes in all directions and therefore dictates that the tree should be growing up. Enriquebeltriana growth is somewhat unpredictable tending to send branches in all directions including straight down, therefore a lot of wiring will be needed to organize the branches, The advantage is that they stay flexible up to several centimeter thickness with little troubles of snapping the branches if done with care. As can bee seen the tree has regain a lot of volume in the branches, improving the girth of the selected branches and improving the ramification, know is just a question of bending the branches to the proper position before transplanting the tree in the chosen container. I think once this little part of bending and adjusting branches and will change dramatically the look of this tree. Of course the actual time this takes is only a few hours, compared to the actual branch creation and elongation that have been accomplish so far.