Hello everyone!

I purchased this Bonsai from a big box retailer a few weeks ago and can't seem to ID this tree. It looks similar to a boxwood but I'm not completely sure. Also I've been out of the office for two weeks and when I came back I noticed leaves dying. I'm assuming it's from lack of water so I watered it and made sure to soak it until water came out of the hole on the bottom. About an hour later the leaves in the pictures that are yellow turned brown and fell off. I assumed if it was due to lack of water they would perk back up instead of turning brown.

I don't know the last time this tree was fertilized as I purchased at a big box retailer. So I'm thinking that may be an issue as well? I do keep it next to the window at my office as you can see in the pictures.


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Looks like ficus

Doesn't look like a ficus.

This is maybe a baby rubberplant (Peperomia). It is a common houseplant with decorative pebbles, moss and stones that are not used in bonsai - actually, this hasn't got much to do with bonsai at all.

I looked at the baby rubber plant but it doesn't look much like that - my leaves don't quite look like that. Kind of looks like a variety of ficus but it's hard to tell.

I see something that looks a lot like swollen roots behind the rocks. If that is the case you have a ginseng ficus there.

Leaves die. The rest of the plant looks OK.

leatherback wrote: I see something that looks a lot like swollen roots behind the rocks. If that is the case you have a ginseng ficus there.

Leaves die. The rest of the plant looks OK.

The roots behind the rocks are swollen. I attached pictures of it for you so you can see. So the leaves are supposed to die? It is fall here in North Carolina USA but I keep this plant inside near my office window.

There is some slight white stuff on a few of the lower leaves that I can wipe off but I don't see any insects or anything. It was on the leaves when I got it.

Yup, Ginseng fig. A combination of swollen roots, with a small leaf variety fig grafted on top of them.

Check the stones and fake moss. This is purely decorative, and most of the time hampers proper watering of your plant, as frequently they are glued in place.. Take them off.

Not all the leaves should drop. But leaves do die. They do not have the everlasting life. If it is only a few and they are in the inside of the canopy, there is nothing to worry about.

J.

leatherback wrote: Yup, Ginseng fig. A combination of swollen roots, with a small leaf variety fig grafted on top of them.

Check the stones and fake moss. This is purely decorative, and most of the time hampers proper watering of your plant, as frequently they are glued in place.. Take them off.

Not all the leaves should drop. But leaves do die. They do not have the everlasting life. If it is only a few and they are in the inside of the canopy, there is nothing to worry about.

J.

Thank you for the quick reply and the confirmation! The rocks are glued on so I'll take them off. I read that they help retain moisture but not sure how true that is if they just make it difficult to get a proper watering.

I'll keep an eye on the leaves then. A good bit fell from under the canopy the past two weeks as I wasn't able to water it since I was out of the office. The soil from the hole in the bottom felt super dry so I gave it a good watering yesterday and made sure to water until it was coming out of the hole at the bottom.

I read I need to fertilize every week or two for a Ginseng Fig with liquid or organic pellets? Its been probably four weeks since I've gotten the tree (Wasn't told when the last fertilizer application was done by the big box store) and of course the tag that came with it didn't say the variety or anything but says fertilize every few months so I'm assuming that is completely wrong!

Don't worry too much. Ficus complain. They drop leaves whenever their surroundings & environment change. Never let them dry out completely, never leave them soaking whet and you should be fine. Fertilize sparingliy. I would say once a month is normal, unless you have a plant that is growing well. In winter I would expect very little growth.

leatherback wrote: Yup, Ginseng fig. A combination of swollen roots, with a small leaf variety fig grafted on top of them.

Confirmed... I got it wrong.