Bonsai identification help

[TorontoBonesigh]

Hi everyone,

I've attached two photos of a bonsai I've recently acquired. Can anyone advise? Click for big.

[img]https://I.imgur.com/PIOgBh.jpg[/img]

[img]https://I.imgur.com/5GR2T.jpg[/img]

I need to figure out if this guy should go outdoors (I live in Toronto, Canada).

Also, is the white marks on the leaves of any concern?

Thanks!

[rainbowgardener]

I think your bonsai is a baby jade (aka elephant bush) (portulacaria afra). The other option is a jade plant (crassula argentea or crassula ovata). They look very similar and I can't always tell them apart from a picture.

They are succulents. They can survive light frosts, but if it freezes all the way through, it is dead. So no, definitely not outdoors in a Canadian winter. But unlike some temperate trees, it should do well staying indoors.

Don't know about the white spots on the leaves. Do they wipe off? Have you been misting the tree?

[Gnome]

TorontoBonesigh,

I agree with RBG's initial ID, definitely Portulacaria. Do not allow it to freeze, I keep mine outside as much as my climate permits and indoors under fluorescent lighting to over-winter. Cuttings from this species are ridiculously easy to root and you will probably be overrun with them in a couple of years.

Although not traditional bonsai material they respond well to clip & grow and can be pruned to pleasing result.

The white spots are, as RBG seems to suspect as well, probably hard water stains and should wipe off with a wet finger.

Norm

[rainbowgardener]

OK so just for my edification, how do you tell baby jade/ elephant bush apart from jade plant in a picture?

Yes, I asked those questions because I was suspecting hard water stains, I.e. mineral deposits left behind when water evaporates.

[Gnome]

RBG,

It's funny you should ask, when I came back to this thread just now I looked at the pictures and kinda wondered the same thing. I stand by my ID but it's not so easy to put into words.

Portulacaria have much smaller leaves and if you saw both in person there would be no question. From thiese pictures you can see that the leaves are rather flat and just don't have the volume of true jades. The leaves are also somewhat heart shaped which is different than the Jades I have. Not sure if any of this helps much.

Norm

[ElizabethB]

I am by no means a bonsai expert. The spots do look like mineral deposits. Gently wipe them off with a damp cloth and try to avoid splasing the leaves when you water.

Nice plant.