I have been developing this coast live oak from a seedling since 2013. I call it ‘The Lazarus oak’ because it has on several occasions lost most of its leaves and I feared it was dying, only to come back to life in the spring.
My first post about the tree was in 2019 (see
https://beginbonsai.net/2019/01/02/coast-live-oak-quercus-agrifolia/)
and then again in 2022 (see https://beginbonsai.net/2022/04/26/coast-live-oak-quercus-agrifolia-2/).
The current front.
The current back.
The tree when it was last on this website in 2022.
New leaves sprouting after the 2022 posting.
A month of growth.
Leaf die-back and a major branch guy-wired down.
Summer growth with some leaves losing color during fall.
Most leaves losing color. Coast live oak is supposed to be a broadleaf evergreen oak! It worries me to see it lose so many leaves so quickly.
Some leaves still green, beginning to sprout from the trunk.
Fast growth of trunk sprouts.
Most branches are resprouting.
Removal of two large branches that weren’t resprouting.
Site of major branch removal.
The roots look good.
Root-pruned.
Working new bonsai soil into roots. Soil is a mixture of about 33% each of akadama, pumice, and scoria.
New angle in pot.
More non-sprouting branches removed.
The lowest right branch is still alive, but looks awkward at the new angle.
I decided to reduce the lower right branch. A new design for 2024. I will see how it does, and may remove it entirely if the remaining half of the branch doesn’t develop.
The lower right branch is budding so I will see how it develops over the upcoming year and may keep it.
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