No history recorded for this bonsai
Chinese Juniper 'Kiyozuru'
Juniperus chinensis 'Kiyozuru'
Botanical family : CupressaceaeKiyozuru, Shimpaku
Chinese Juniper (Juniperus chinensis) 'Kiyozuru'. Acquisition Date : 8/9/18
users403149
United States
Indiana
Dfa
Continental climate with a hot summer, without dry season
Climate with hot and often humid summers, and cold winters. It experiences a strong temperature variation between seasons.

Undefined style
Undefined style
Undefined style - Why?

The owner has not yet defined a style for this bonsai or has not specified it.
Sometimes it is impossible to define a specific style for a bonsai due to various factors. The health of the tree, its natural structure, and its stage of development play a crucial role. For example, a young tree or one with structural defects, such as poorly positioned branches, may not be ready to adopt a particular style without compromising its growth. Furthermore, certain tree species have characteristics that do not lend themselves well to specific styles, such as branches that are too rigid for a cascade style. Finally, the art of bonsai is also a form of artistic expression, where each tree has its own unique aesthetic potential. A theoretical style may not correspond to the tree's natural essence, making it difficult or inappropriate to apply a rigid style. Thus, defining a style for a bonsai must take into account the balance between the tree's natural characteristics, environmental conditions, and the bonsaika's artistic vision.
Acquisition Date : 8/9/18 (8 years)
Source of acquisition : California bonsai studio in Santa Rosa valley
Owner's note :
Juniperus chinensis, Kiyozuru Shimpaku is a cultivated variant of Shimpaku juniper that originated at Chikugo-en Nursery in California. It is credited to the late Masaru “Mas” Ishii, a bonsai master and grafting specialist who founded Chikugo-en in 1981. Mas Ishii obtained or developed this variant (likely from Itoigawa Shimpaku stock) and named it “Kiyozuru.”
Kiyozuru combines the vigor of Itoigawa with the tight growth of Kishu. Kiyozuru has a compact, mounding growth habit, with shorter internodes and plenty of back-budding – ideal for creating layered foliage pads. Branchlets may droop slightly under their own weight, lending a graceful flow.
Two largish whips were purchased from California bonsai studio in ~2018 maybe 2019. Split larger one into two. Placed all three into bigger grow out pot in ~2020.
Attempted to approach graft smallest of the three onto Eastern red cedar in April 2026.
Location : Grow out pot near parking lot