# Would this make a good bonsai? **URL:** \ **Category:** Beginners\ **Created:** [June 29, 2020, 7:27am UTC](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/t/would-this-make-a-good-bonsai/6397 "2020-06-29T07:27:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JamesC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bc8723/32.png) [@JamesC](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/u/JamesC)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 7:27am UTC](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/t/would-this-make-a-good-bonsai/6397/1 "2020-06-29T07:27:05Z")
I have seen this tree on my morning walk for a few months and have always wondered whether it could be turned into a good bonsai? I believe it is thuja plicata. I know the land owner so I could get permission to collect it. It obviously has natural movement in the trunk but I wondered if the trunk would be too vertical before the movement? I would be interested to here thoughts. ![IMG_1616](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/bonsaimirai/original/2X/b/b7de01ab6b9a2193ad9a91095415cba75c24b523.jpeg) ![IMG_1617](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/bonsaimirai/original/2X/0/0a81274733518df3fb99b0dfc424301932b2b8d7.jpeg) ![IMG_1618](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/bonsaimirai/original/2X/8/85eb1cbbf4fadaee382a113c45f9cf2748555fae.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Keith-in-UK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f04885/32.png) [@Keith-in-UK](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/u/Keith-in-UK)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 11:37am UTC](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/t/would-this-make-a-good-bonsai/6397/2 "2020-06-29T11:37:17Z")
Best to leave it a few years to fatten up. You could peg it to the ground to get roots a little closer to the trunk. in the meantime. ---
**Author:** ![KurtP](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.bonsaimirai.com/kurtp/32/16188_2.png) [@KurtP](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/u/KurtP)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 3:50pm UTC](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/t/would-this-make-a-good-bonsai/6397/3 "2020-06-29T15:50:46Z")
Western Red Ceader … in UK…? Musta been a American sparrow, not a European and African …🤣 . I fought three collected ceaders for 15 years, never could keep a design. … finally put them in the ground. Now the are 20 feet tall… . Ya, you need a good trunk and nebari first. Pass this one up. ---
**Author:** ![Bonsai\_Bentley](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.bonsaimirai.com/bonsai_bentley/32/7792_2.png) [@Bonsai\_Bentley](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/u/Bonsai_Bentley)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2020, 2:07pm UTC](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/t/would-this-make-a-good-bonsai/6397/4 "2020-06-30T14:07:29Z")
I’d leave that one there. Maybe prune it in place so you can enjoy it a bit more on your walks? ---
**Author:** ![WestSeattleDavid](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.bonsaimirai.com/westseattledavid/32/12767_2.png) [@WestSeattleDavid](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/u/WestSeattleDavid)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2020, 6:07pm UTC](https://forum.bonsaimirai.com/t/would-this-make-a-good-bonsai/6397/5 "2020-08-05T18:07:35Z")
Much too leggy and young. Leave those pieces to nursery stock. Keep your eye’s pealed, there are gems out there! Thuja Plicata is a beautiful species, especially when mature. Since they are very heat tolerant you can find some wonderful trees with alot of dead/live interaction. Getting to a little higher elevation, where the forest is a bit thinner, provides good yamadori opportunities. Many times in dense, lower elevation, forested areas, there aren’t many ‘mid-sized/aged’ trees. You tend to see towering trees and seedlings. Not to say you can’t find really great specimens, they are just tougher to spot. Good luck and keep walking in the woods!