Last weekend the American Bonsai Society held their 2019 Convention in Houston, Texas. Hosted by the Houston Bonsai Society, the event featured an awesome program of workshops, demonstrations, lectures, and artist spotlights.
The convention exhibit included bonsai, suiseki, and kusamono displays. Headliners Enrique Castano de la Serna, Boon Manakitivipart, and Ryan Neil selected the prize-winning entries in accordance with the Lone Star Bonsai Federation’s Excellence in Bonsai program.
Here are the prize-winning trees.
Texas cedar elm – Best in Show and Best Deciduous
Japanese black pine – Best Conifer
Texas cedar elm – People’s Choice
Burtt Davy ficus – Best Tropical
Cuban laurel fig – Honorable Mention, Tropical
Bald cypress – Best Texas Native and John Y. Naka Award (ABS)
Boxwood – Best Broadleaf Evergreen
Willow leaf ficus – Best Shohin Tree
Black pine, Korean hornbeam, trident maple, white pine – Best Shohin Display
Itoigawa shimpaku, pyracantha ‘Santa Cruz’, Green Island Ficus, Chinese elm, satsuki azalea ‘Chinzan’, tiger bark ficus
Honorable Mention, Shohin Display
Subscribe to Bonsai Tonight
New Posts Delivered Every Tuesday and Friday
Theresa Aranui says
April 16, 2019 at 11:26 pmThese are beautiful, and it would have been a dream come true to learn this art.
Jonas Dupuich says
April 17, 2019 at 6:54 amThanks Theresa!
Shabbar says
April 17, 2019 at 9:36 pmPlease could you gift me one?
amin younes says
April 18, 2019 at 6:45 amWhat’s going on with the base of that black pine? Is it root-over-rock? Do you have a closeup of it? Texas cedar elm seems like an interesting species of tree that I’ve never seen before. Do you have any experience with it? Is it similar to something like a Chinese elm?
Jonas Dupuich says
April 18, 2019 at 7:21 amHi Amin! Cedar elm is a great species – they ramify well and grow quickly, not unlike Chinese elm. I’ve worked on them but haven’t grown them here.
I don’t know that I have a close-up of the pine, but I am familiar with it. The base really is that big, and the lighter color is deadwood from an old, and large, wound.