Catching up with an old frenimy

A Friend? an Enemy? At various times in my bonsai career, Serissa was one or the other.  It seems to be that way for many growers, there is no middle ground with this plant.  Some love it, some hate it, but few can just take it or leave it.
 For reasons I can’t exactly remember now, when I first began the bonsai hobby, I was afraid to attempt anything that needed winter care. Reading in books made the process seem complicated, and photographs of   extensive cold frames or deluxe over wintering shed made the task seem daunting. Better to avoid that expense and hassle, I thought, and just grow indoor bonsai  this seems like a quaint notion now, but at that time two and a half decades ago, ‘indoor bonsai’ was still a very new idea. That line of thinking is basically gone from the hobby now, and it is an accepted fact by most that great looking bonsai can be created from 
all kinds of plants regardless of their zone of origin.

As I sought out my first plants for bonsai culture, I followed the advice to be found in many publications available at the time as far as best plants for indoor bonsai cultivation. Then as now Ficus was king, bit a species was that old favorite the Serissa ( Serissa fotieda) sometimes called Snowrose, Tree of a Thousand Stars or Chinese Serissa. Ubiquitous a subject for pen’ching, the Serissa is undeniably appealing, with its ready flowers and small neat leaves. It has also developed a reputation for being fussy.

After growing with no trimming or really training for awhile, this
young Serissa was pruned hard, had a bit if wire applied and
will be allowed to grow  out.  Pinching of all growing tips
will result in the quick development of a rounded shape and compact
foliage.

Miss a watering, or water too much, and it dies. Move it and the leaves fall off. Repot and it dies-or all the leaves fall off-or both!. Sound familiar? I didn’t  get to make lasting emotional connections with that first Serissa I had. It didn't last too long. I moved on to killing other species of plants and after a while, didn't seem to kill all that many.

I am not sure when Serissa made its way back into my collection, but it did come. And what a change was here. I wasn’t afraid  of this little bush any more. And it grew! I have often said that our trees don’t read the bonsai books. This means they often will not cooperate with our design plans, but also that plants that are supposed to be fussy or hard to manage my not be so.

These two plants are of the same age and size. The one on the
right had a better basic shape and was placed directly into
a bonsai pot. With stock this small refinement work can happen
in a finished pot. The plant on the left will be grown out
for another year or two, with an emphasis on growing an even
bigger root base as a design feature.

I am still not sure that I would tell a person with no experience to try a Serissa.  For someone with no background dealing with plants in pots, who has never really flexed their greenthumb, I’d say start somewhere else. But I would also hasten to add that the Serissa should not terrify you either. In my experience  soil mix is the key to success.  I am sure, with the wisdom of hindsight, that that first Serissa of mine bite the dust because of wet feet.  The growing mix was mainly peat with a bit of vermiculite and it just didn’t drain well. Coupled with a too shady location ( I had been told the plant could not take sun) and too much TLC, the plant just gave up the ghost.

Cuttings on the right are from this season and have
set some roots. In year or two they will look like the rough
stock at the center. 

Serissa don’t like to stand in water, but need good drainage. A chunky  potting mix suits them best.  Small size bark or coir nuggets combined with an absorbent inorganic like Turface is a good formula. Add some mason’s sand if you prefer, but especially in small sized pots, I  avoid sand simply because I want as much moisture reservoir as possible.  They can put up with growing in shade but my current inventory of Serissa-cuttings being grown on, rough stock and a few finished bonsai all get several hours of full sun.

I hear some bonsai growers say the name Serissa with a note of disgust in their voice, and despair that they can’t grow it. Other call it a weed and  seem unable to kill it. I myself have moved from one extreme to the other.  That switch is motivated by increased knowledge of bonsai horticulture, confidence it what it takes to keep a plant alive, and also an acceptance of what I call benign neglect.

Bonsai can require a lot of time and effort.  But one of the key skills a bonsai grower will develop is the knack of knowing when to do nothing.  There is only so much pruning and fertilizing and general messing with that any plant can take. Even with the best of intentions,  too much care can doom a plant-or a whole collection of plants. Left alone when it is appropriate, plants are more likely to thrive.