Bonsai-dentification

[dancing_lotus]

Very sorry I did not see this special section for identification help! Google somehow sent me straight to another person's identification question in a different section, and I wrongly assumed that was the place to post! Let me know if there's a way to delete my other post... but here's a duplicate, in the right section:

Hello hello! My name is Jen, and I'm brand new to the forum; but I'm hoping someone here might be able to help identify a bonsai that my friend just got for Christmas that is unmarked....

[img]https://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i26/china_cat3/DSCF3661.jpg[/img]

Any help would be so greatly appreciated!! He's mortified that he might damage it

Thank you!!!

[Gnome]

Jen,

I'm not certain but I think it is a Juniper. Sometimes certain evergreens still give me some difficulty in identification. Regardless, I don't think this is a good candidate for indoor growing. Lighitng is important but that light looks pretty close especially if it houses an incandescent bulb.

Christmas Junipers often meet an unfavorable fate. This is due to their unsuitablility as indoor bonsai, new growers who are unfamiliar with bonsai and other factors. If you search the forum for 'Juniper' you will find many examples of dead ones due to being kept indoors. In the short term I would suggest a cool location if possible.

Does anyone else agree or disagree with this being a Juniper?

Norm

[dancing_lotus]

Thank you for the help! My friend who has it said his brother just got it for him from some "bonsai salesman" who had it in his house and said he'd been working on it for 2-3 years now..... so he's assuming it can be kept indoors but has never grown any type of bonsai before. And unfortunately either the salesman did a poor job supplying instructions, or my friend's brother did a poor job in keeping them! But I thought I'd snoop around online a bit to help out, thank you very much!

[froggy]

I can't say as to the species, but it looks like an outdoor tree to me as well...

so pretty much what norm said, plus, think about taking off the top dressing if it is glued etc - stripping it down to where the actual soil is will help the roots get air and, more importantly, lets you judge when to water it more precisely.

if your outdoors temperatures aren't too cold yet I'd put it outside or in an unheated garage by a window (note evergreens do need some light even through dormancy)

good luck

[manofthetrees]

I would agree Norm its a juni... and the seller is not telling the truth.too many times I see these... take a young tree stick it in a pot add some moss, rocks and some wire POOF! instant bonsai .and when you're interested in bonsai and not well informed (I had one that lasted 3 weeks) they got ya . I"d agree w/ Norm n froggy and put it in a cool place jst don't let the roots freeze.
best of luck

[dancing_lotus]

Oh my.... thank you all for the help! I passed the verdict to him and am just hopin' for the best! I'll keep ya all posted! Thank you all again!!