Join Gary Lai and broaden your understanding of the art of Bonsai and how you can use a common succulent to develop a bonsai. A short description of the Portulacaria Afra succulent will be given with several samples being shown and what attributes this plant species has that makes it an ideal house and garden plant. Until only recently there has been an increase interest among some Bonsai enthusiasts for using some succulent plants in shows as companion plants for their tree displays and one particular Bonsai artist who lived locally in Southern California started using the elephant jade he was propagating as his Bonsai training material because of it’s unusual bark which exhibited cork formation and this visual attribute bestowed a feeling of great age to the tree. There will be several examples of this cork bark jade that have been prepared using Bonsai training techniques.

Free with garden admission.