Backyard Weed Bonsai

No it’s not Marijuana  Cheech!!!!!

In my backyard I have a big weed problem.  Mostly because I haven’t done anything about it.  They grow like crazy and the battle is futile.  Plus the yard gets all torn up anyway with a child.

So, today I was walking around and doing some cleaning when a few of these weeds caught my eye.  I bent over to take a closer look and one of them had some great movement and a woody stem/trunk.

Here is a patch of these weeds:

I’m always trying new things and said “what the heck, lets see how it will respond to bonsai.”

I believe this is Shrubby False Buttonwood (Spermacoce verticillata).  I may be wrong.  I do know that it grows in blazing hot Florida sun, takes very well to drought, lawnmowers, and being walked on.  It is a weed after all.

But those traits would make a good bonsai tree, wouldn’t you say?  You could chop it as much as you want, bend it, do basically anything and it will keep on ticking.

The stem is soft on the younger plants and becomes woody over time.  These have been for what looks like years before I moved in….which was 2 years ago.  So not sure of the age.

Anyway, I grabbed a small shovel, dug the sucker out and trimmed the 2 tap roots it had. It only had a few feeders, but it’ll make it I’m sure.

I cut the bottom of a water bottle, poked holes in it, added the soil and……………Done!

Backyard Bonsai!

The movement is there as well as the “age” factor.  It looks old, it’s been through a lot and it shows it.  This was done on a whim but I think it may turn out nice.

That is one of my favorite things about trees.  When they show that the struggle was real!

Updates will follow on this one as it progresses (or decides to take the high road!)  This is not the final planting angle.  Once it establishes better I will make some changes.