At the United States Arboretum bonsai collection, a tree in training since 1625.

There were others from the 18th century and a lot from the 19th century.

Cool! Thanks for sharing.

Really cool! That's the Hiroshima Survivor don't it!?

Albas wrote:

Really cool! That's the Hiroshima Survivor don't it!?

I think so. There was another from the early 18th century and that one may be the survivorj. Usually I take a picture of the sign but this time I forgot.

The Hiroshima survivor had been in the family since it started training. I would be surprised if my kids wanted my trees.

Ivan Mann wrote:

I would be surprised if my kids wanted my trees.

Hahahaha, let's hope they do!
You know, I've heard Japanese Bonsaists are having the same issue, young people not intersted in trees...

Kids in the last 60 or 70 years whose family does bonsai, runs a restaurant, or something similar grow up watching Mom and Dad work the business, then they get 12 or so, start expanding their horizons, learn about medicine, law, computers, travel, or something else, and may not want the 24x7 job. Their spouse probably will want it less.

This is just the world changing. You can't stop it and you shouldn't stop it, but it does mean the bonsai tree has to find a new place to live.

We ate at a great restaurant in Vienna that had been in the same family since early 1700s. They had one daughter who agreed to work weekends but was not interested in kids and was not interested in more than weekends. We found a woodcarver in Sorrento who was 87. He son, around 60, ran the cash register but there was noone younger there. Change.

It is agreat place. Was there in .. 2019 (?) for the Nick Lenz special exhibition.

The tree is indeed the Hiroshima survivor.

If you do not know the work of Lenz, need to see:

The story of this tree is on an Empire blog item:
www.bonsaiempire.com/blog/hiroshima-survivor