Similarly to the Tiger bark ficus described in the January 2019 post of this blog (see https://beginbonsai.net/2019/01/11/tiger-bark-ficus-ficus-microcarpa/), planting cuttings from this strangler fig have provided a number of new trees for me. One of these was the F. natalensis described at https://beginbonsai.net/2019/09/08/african-strangler-fig-ficus-natalensis/ and at https://beginbonsai.net/2019/09/28/african-strangler-fig-ii-ficus-natalensis/.
The parent tree arrived from Bonsai Collectibles in May of 2013.
The tree today. Later this spring I will repot the tree and wire the trunks tightly together to try to get them to better fuse into a single trunk.
The tree upon arrival.
The tree at the end of its first summer of growth after purchase.
First bare-rooting and repotting.
Lots of room for growth in its new pot.
The tree beginning its second spring.
Second repotting.
I chopped the trunk into several parallel sections held together with tape and added rooting hormone to the chopped trunk bases.
Tape replaced with raffia.
Another spring repot.
Aerial roots.
Replaced the raffia.
Annual root work and repotting.
Nebari beginning to form from surface and aerial roots.
The tree in new soil.
Wiring the long branches. Eventually I may remove all of these but for now I am hoping they will thicken the trunks and encourage fusion.
Wire removed after two months.
Surface roots.
The tree after nearly four years of development. Still a long way to go.
Bare-rooted for spring repotting.
Root-pruned.
Another view of the tree today.
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