Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection

The pacific Rim Bonsai Collection was opened by the Weyerhaeuser Company in the fall of 1989 in Federal Way, Washington. It is adjacent to the company's Headquarters and is managed by the Rhododendron Species Foundation, which also maintains a rhododendron species collection on the same donated parcel of land.

The largest private bonsai collection on the west coast open to the public, it is one of the most extensive collections in the world.

I have visited this collection several times and have assembled photographs of many of the pieces on display.

The plants are nicely displayed, each in its own cubical.

Plant # 101            Ginkgo biloba

Originated in 1955.

Formal upright style.

Plant # 102             Juniuperus chinensis v. sargentii foliage

                        Juniperus occidentalis trunk

Trunk originated 900 and foliage 1970.

Grafted in 1970 onto a 800-1000 year old juniper from the western United States.

Formal upright style.

Plant # 103            Juniuperus chinensis v. sargentii foliage

                        Juniuperus chinensis ‘San Jose’ trunk

Trunk originated 1949 and foliage 1981

Grafted to trunk in 1981.

Informal upright style.

Plant # 104            Olea europaea (olive tree)

Originated in 1880.

Formal upright style.

Collected from old olive orchard in Los Angeles area.

Plant # 106            Ulmus parvifolia ‘Catlin’ (Catlin elm)

Originated in 1973.

Grove style.

Plant # 107            Juniuperus chinensis v. sargentii

Originated in 1944.

Slanting style.

Shows “jin” (silver dead branch) and “shari” (dead bark on a trunk). Lime sulfur protects the deadwood and bleaches the “jin”.

Plant # 108            Celtis sinensis (Chinese hackberry)

Originated in 1780.

Informal upright.

Plant # 109            Juniperus rigida

Originated in 1900.

Informal upright style.

Shows “jin” (silver dead branch) and “shari” (dead bark on a trunk). Lime sulfur protects the deadwood and bleaches the “jin”.

Plant # 110            Juniperus horizontalis

Originated 1940.

Cascade Style. Two line with one branch as informal and one branch arching below the pot rim.

Plant # 111            Quercus suber (Cork oak)

Originated in 1955.

Formal upright style.

  Plant # 112            Juniperus occidentalis (Sierra juniper)

Originated 1680.

Informal upright.

Collected in 1975 in Nevada and trained with “shari-kan” (debarked trunk) in front and living trunk in the background.

Plant # 116            Pinus thunbergiana (Japanese black pine)

Originated 1590.

Informal upright style.

Collected in the mountains of Japan.

Plant # 117            Juniperus chinensis ‘San Jose’

Designed in 1982.

Style is “saikei”.

Plant # 118            Larix laricina (Larch)

Originated 1830.

Slanting style.

Collected in Nova Scotia and was originally a layered branch.

Plant # 120            Pinus thunbergiana ‘Corticata’

Originated 1950.

Cascade style.

Plant # 123            Abies lasiocarpa (Alpine fir)

Originated 1945.

Group style of 47 trees created around 1960.

Plant # 125            Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’ (Blue Atlas cedar)

Originated 1944.

Formal upright style.

Plant # 127            Celtis sinensis (Chinese hackberry)

Originated 1950.

Formal upright style.

It is a broom form with “wuko-miki” (hollow trunk).

Plant # 130            Ulmus parvifolia ‘Catlin’

Originated 1970.

Formal upright style.

Example of “rock-over-rock”  and “broom” styles.

Plant # 131            Pinus parviflora (Japanese white pine)

Originated 1715.

Slanting style.

Plant # 133            Juniperus chinensis

Originated 1960.

Semi-cascade style since most arching branches are above the pot rim.

Plant # 135            Pinus contorta (Shore pine)

Originated 1740.

Informal upright style.

Plant # 201            Rhododendron x indicum (Satsuki azalea)

Originated 1620.

Informal upright style.

Plant # 202            Acer buergeranum (Trident maple)

Originated 1948.

Root-over-rock style.

Plant # 208            Liquidambar orientalis (oriental sweet gum)

Originated 1965.

Formal upright style.

Plant # 209            Rhododendron serpyllifolium (Japanese mountain azalea)

Originated 1485.

Multiple trunk style called “korabuki”.

Plant # 217            Picea englemannii (Engleman spruce)

Originated 1890.

Informal upright.

Collected in 1978 on Mount Hood, the double trunks represent a”father-son” tree with the larger one being the taller, thin son and the shorter, broader tree being the father.

Plant # 219            Chamaecyparis obtusa (Hinoki cypress)

Originated 1975.

Informal upright.

Taxodium distichum in two different seasons.

Counter started July, 2003