TAXUS AND OTHERS

YEW TREES AND OTHERS

Although pines and junipers are more popular and abundant in this hobby within the group of conifers, we cannot forget the yews, which are equally suitable for bonsai, both the European variety (taxus baccata) and the Asian one (taxus cuspidata).

It is a slow-growing dioecious tree, evergreen and very long-lived, with thin reddish bark and linear leaves that are deep green on the upper side and light green on the underside.

It adapts to almost any style of bonsai, although due to its longevity, those with properly treated dry wood predominate, as they give the impression of having survived the weather for many years.

In many parts of Europe, individual old yews are considered monuments of nature, remnants of ancient forests, and are therefore protected and preserved.

Another group of conifers, which are surprising because some are deciduous, are the taxodium species, a genus of the Cupressaceae family, in which we can find the famous swamp cypresses (taxodium distichum), a species native to very humid climates and extremely tolerant of waterlogging. It is the ideal bonsai conifer for hobbyists living in humid areas.

Speaking of deciduous conifers, it is worth mentioning the genus larix, commonly called larch, with acicular, smooth, green and shiny leaves, in groups of 15 to 40 fascicles; the needles turn yellow and fall off in late autumn. It is a very popular species among bonsai enthusiasts as it is very hardy and the branches can be easily positioned by means of wire fastenings.