名媛直播

Hi there, I am looking to identify my bonsai species so that I know how the canopy should look and therefore how much pruning it needs next year before it's next growth cycle in Spring.

I have tried several apps that suggest that it is a ficus retusa, however, from Google image searches it most resembles a ficus ginseng.

A little background information, I bought this plant from IKEA around 2 years ago and as soon as I brought it home it lost all of its leaves and died (despite good care). Since then, it has grown from strength to strength although all of the branches you see have grown out of the trunk as the main trunk stem died.

Would very much appreciate a precise identification and as always, feel free to leave any tips about pruning, etc.

Thank you in advance

If you look in the tree species section on this web site you will find Ficus

Yes it is a ficus ginseng. Not considered to be a bonsai by most people in the hobby. Ikea stoped calling them bonsai here a long time ago. Don't know If they still do in other parts of the world.

You may get better response in a house plant forum. Also check how Nigel Saunders on youtube has turned a ginseng into a quite nice bonsai over a period of a few years. So it can absolutely be done.

Hello Buddingbonsai
Tropfrog has already written its a "Ficus Ginseng" , that is only the calling and selling name, it?s not a species and botanical not exists. It is an hybrid from 2 species of ficus, the trunk and the storage roots is one species and an top they graft an ohter species.The lower parts with the strorage roots is not a normal growth, the breeder do or know something special that they growing like that !? The trunk looks like a ginsengroot thats why they called "Ficus ginseng"
I have seen some ficus bejaminis after a couple years some of the roots turning to the storage roots, nobody knows why ??
Maybe a lack of something (light, minerals...)??The upper part of your Ficus should be an Ficus microcarpa , so you can use the care and handle instructions for an Ficus microcarpa ore Ficus retusa it`s similar.

It is not at all a hybrid. At least not in the normal botanical definition of a hybrid (which is a sexual cross between two different species). This is one species grafted on to the root stock of another one.

But yes....It is called ficus microcarpa ginseng. And it is totally correct that the upper part is a ficus microcarpa. I am not totally sure which species the lower part is. Just that it is a very strong species that will help the upper part to grow faster. A nice way to produce sellable products very fast.

Tropfrog wrote:

It is not at all a hybrid. At least not in the normal botanical definition of a hybrid (which is a sexual cross between two different species).

Of course it's not a hybrid, I chose this word to make it easier to explain.