The Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) grows along the Pacific Coast of North America from Mendocino County to Baja California in Mexico. Normally the tree is found within 50 miles of the coast on hills and plains, often near year-round streams. It is an evergreen tree with a rounded canopy. The primary trunk is thick and relatively short. Secondary branches may curve towards (and even reach) the ground as the tree ages. John Thompson has described looking up into the canopy of a coast live oak and marveling at the many curves and complicated branching structures that nature created, possibly to allow light to reach the inner leaves of this evergreen tree.
Coast Live Oaks in Nature
Click on images to enlarge
Coast Live Oaks Trained as Bonsai
Coastal live oaks have long been collected and trained as bonsai. John Thompson and Mike Pistello each exhibited coast live oaks at the 2024 Pacific Bonsai Expo. The following are images of Mike Pistello’s award winning (Best Large Broadleaf Evergreen) coast live oak display.
From the artist’s statement in the PBE 2024 program book: “This oak is a yamadori that was collected in the late 1990s near Aptos, California by Garreth Shepard. I estimate this tree to be over 100 years old. I acquired this tree from Garreth in 2017 and have been further developing the branch structure since then. This is the first time I have exhibited this tree, and I am honored to be included in the second Pacific Bonsai expo!”
Click on images to enlarge (photos: Walter Scott)
Coast Live Oaks and Bonsai Design – the “Coast Live Oak Style”
I have been inspired by the form of coast live oaks since I saw them on a trip along the coast of California many years ago. The natural form of a tropical Portulacaria afra (“mini-jade”) tree that I acquired from Chase Rosade in 2003 (he acquired it from the late Jim Smith of Vero Beach, Florida) reminded me of those majestic trees. Portulacaria spp. are also evergreen. As I develop the tree over the years, I tried to emphasize the thick trunk, curvy secondary branches and distal branching that extended close to the ground. The planting angle of the tree was changed to provide movement and drama.
I hope to display this tree at an exhibition with a blue ceramic suiban to suggest a water feature since coast live oaks are often found near streams in nature. Going forward, I would like to see more extension on the lateral and lower branches while restraining apical growth to give the tree a more horizontal, spreading form. This may require planting the tree somewhat higher in the container in order to provide space for the lower branches above the soil level. A raised and more angled soil level will also reinforce the image of a coast live oak growing on a coastal hill or slope.
copyright: 2024, Walter Scott, Artistreebonsai, LLC.
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