Entry #43
Kalyos (Streblus Asper)
Philippines
41 cm (15.75")
Before
Kalyos is a native tree specie in the Philippines, it grows on thickets and river banks. The tree has a slender and straight trunk which, along with its natural small leaves makes it an ideal bonsai specimen for group plantings especially the raft style here in the Philippines. Its main characteristic is its way of reproducing, its sends our roots sideways and new shoot grows from it and eventually those shoots become trees themselves and the process repeats all over. Almost all Streblus asper bonsai trees here are trained in raft style.
The tree was personally dug up last March, its height is 15 inches and a natural raft with 9 to 10 trees spreading 17 inches across. I chose this tree as my entry because its grows fast and responds well to training. Plus its small size will (and with luck) enable me to have at least a semi-finished the tree within the contest duration. It will be tans-planted in a shallow tray or slab when finished with an estimated height between 9 to 12 inches.