Subject: [IBC] natal plum

Jim,
I highly recommend the Natal plum for the reasons you outline. Makes a
really good tropical/ indoor bonsai if you will give it lots of light.
I hacked one back from a 6-7 foot high shrub years ago and it sprouted out
from the bare bark. Takes reduction very well.
I hope you give it a try. A picture of my tree can be seen at
http://www.bonsaihunk.8m.com/info/Carissainfo.html
Jerry Meislik
Whitefish Montana USA
zone 3-4
http://www.bonsaihunk.8m.com/
Snip a PILE of natal plum growing out beside their mailbox. Turns out the
pile was 4 trees (and
assorted rooted lower branches), each with a girth at soil level
of over 8 inches. They were, I'm sure, planted shortly after the
house was built in 1955. Anyway, I pruned, leaving one large rugged,
penjing-style natal
plum and about 4 smaller ones clustered around the bed. We'll
buy them a faux stone lantern (fairly tall) to plop where the
palm used to be, and they'll have a nice Oriental entranceway.

This was the first time I'd worked with this tree, and if I lived
where it would grow outside year 'round, I'd certainly add one to
my bonsai collection. In fact, there's an odd, small one "left
over" in the bed that I may break my "no-trees-in-the-house" rule
over when it gets warm enough that I could get it started in a
pot up here. Wonderful rugged bark, superb naturally twisted
shape, pretty white flowers (in season - these were covered with
golf-ball-sized fruit which looked like, but tasted rather like
insipidly grown REAL plums).

All in all a great tree!

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL

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