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Green Island Ficus
Ficus macrocarpa 
Age: appx. 70 years

Prior to acquisition this tree was grown without much style or direction. After winning the tree at auction, Russ has been working on styling through wiring. The screws are inserted into deadwood on the plant and guy wires are attached to bring branches to the desired placing. This can also be achieved by using very thick wire, without using the screws. However, the screws allow for more pull without having as much wire on the branches, limiting scarring. Lime sulfur has been applied to preserve the shari, or deadwood, this kills microbes that would decay or degrade deadwood. Deadwood is a common aesthetic on conifers, however, is not typical on topicals. The lower branch is called the sashi-eda, or the character branch. Unfortunately, the S-curve was established early in development and is not ideal as it is considered too snaky and repetitive in traditional bonsai cultivation. This species is originally from Taiwan.

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