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Hello all, this is my first post here as I just discovered this forum. This isn’t really a beginner question, but I’m curious about opinions on this question all the same. This picture is of a North American larch that was given to me by the one and only Nick Lenz when I was studying and working with him around 2010. I’m wondering if the lichens and moss? on the bark is becoming too much and could be a health concern for the tree. In the collective experience of this forum, I’m wondering what your thoughts are?

generally the lichen is ok, the moss on the trunk is not. But it does look a lot of lichen and I would probably remove some of it. I wonder when this plant was last re potted, too late this year, but I would be doing it next.

Thanks for your response, and yes, the tree is due to be repotted.

Too me it looks like it is way too late to make this tree a bonsai. Straight trunk that is way to late to bend and all lower branches removed.

The best option in my opinion is to plant it in the ground and make it a ball topiary.

That’s very funny, I think I’ll pass on that option

From my side it was not a joke. What other options do you see yourself?

Right on, we clearly have very different definitions of what bonsai is. ?I like larger trees and I would no sooner turn this into a topiary as just cut it down. If you saw it in person, you might have a different opinion. Have you heard the name Nick Lenz? If not, I might suggest a little research on your end.

I am very familiar with Nick Lenz. Very high quality work.

However, all I can do is to evaluate the picture of the tree. I have no idea how the tree looked like 16 years ago, why Nick gave it away or what has been done since then. All I know is that in my opinion this picture does not show the type of high quality work Nick was doing and it is not, as the status of today, very suitable for bonsai. All the important low growing branches is done. The top can be trained to look like a bonsai, but there are still a long straight trunk that will make it look funny.

What style and size of tree?are you aiming at?

Maybe a picture on a blank background will give us a more/ better view on the top of the tree

So……. I wasn’t really asking for an evaluation of the tree, if you’ll refer to the initial post, I really only wanted to know about the lichens on the tree. The tree is a formal upright, and I know it’s not a spectacular picture, but it certainly does show the issue that I actually asked the question about. Thanks for your time.