what kind is my bonsai tree? (Fukien Tea)

[naruto]

Hi all!

Could you please help me identify my new bonsai tree:

Here are some pics (does this variety blossom?)







Your help will be much appreciated.

[GardenerX]

I'm not realy sure but my guess is some kind of Ficus, maybe Ficus Microcarpa I'm not sure but it looks very nice.

[TomM]

It appears to be a fukien tea - and you will see numerous posts on this forum concerning this species. Check them all out and ask any additional questions you might have. Yes - it does get nice little white blossoms in the growing season. I see a few buds started in the pics.
Nice tree - nice photos !! It looks quite healthy. How long have you had it?
Welcome to a friendly forum of plant and bonsai enthusiasts.

[GardenerX]

ahhh see I would have never guessed that the reason I said Ficus is I had one that looked like that but smaller and it was a Ficus, but I'm very new to bonsai the tree I'm talking about died a while back I don't even know why all of a sudden one day it broke in half like it was very dry or somthing. I don't know but I currently only have two tree's that are doing great. Oh I totaly forgot what I was talking about on here

[spookedhippie]

hi there, yes that does look like a fukien tea... maybe going on a limb but did you get that at b and q in the uk?

[Gnome]

GardenerX,

When I first started here I could not identify this species either. I did not grow them and still don't have one. If you look closely you'll notice the notched appearance some of the leaves exhibit at their tips. This feature is not equally apparent on all leaves but usually you can discern it, even from pictures. Other clues would be the dots on the leaves and the presence of flower buds. After a while this is one of the easier species to pick out.

Norm

[GardenerX]

Thank You Norm,

This info will be very helpful in the future.

[TomM]

Other distinguishing features of fukien tea - very shiny leaves with little pin-dot freckles.
If you study the first photo you will see the original "top-chop" wound and how a new branch on the right side was probably wired upward to create a new apex. I would shorten the apex by about half. It looks a bit leggy.
Fukien tea are often styled in the "clip and grow" fashion, but can be wired as long as the shoots are tender, as they can get very brittle after the first year. When hardened they will break off very easily.
TomM

[Babyshoes]

Hi,
This looks to me as though it is what they call a Vagiated Serissa it gets little white flowers on - it should be starting to bloom about now, they are very pretty and your tree looks good, don't let it get dry but whatever you do don't overwater - with Bonsai's it's all in the watering!
Hope you do well with it.

[TomM]

I don't think so, Not varigated, Not serissa!!! It's a fukien tea. See the tiny buds about to flower on dangling thread-like stems. Serissa (both single and double) has a tight blossom more like a super miniature daisy or carnation. And the serissa has much smaller foliage than this.