Developing a bonsai can be a fulfilling accomplishment. Taking a young cutting or seedling and carefully growing it to a size for shaping and training is one of the most common methods for bonsai creation. Although time consuming, this technique has been popular, and a bonsai can be developed right from the beginning according to your own taste and understanding of bonsai. As your bonsai experience and knowledge increase (hopefully) and developing your own style bonsai can be developed.
Last year I suddenly realized I have too many finely developed bonsai and I could not even pick up some of them as they grew larger and heavier. Since my assistants and I are ageing and not as spry as we once were, moving and hand watering becomes more difficult and time consuming. So, I began to release and sell many of my famous, well-known distinctive bonsai from my personal bonai collection.
Last year Dave Steele, one of my long-time, over 30-year, student and friend has been assisting me care and train my bonsai for decades. He has an excellent bonsai collection and does an excellent job caring and training his trees. As he was watering my trees, he kept admiring one of my oldest Valavanis dwarf cypress bonsai which I grew from a cutting over 50 years ago. So, I sold him this bonsai on the lay-away-plan. He wired the entire bonsai last winter and today we refined the shape and transplanted it. Before describing today’s work, I want to present some historical information
The Valavanis Dwarf Cypress
In 1970 I got lost in New Jersey trying to find a nursery. I ended up driving around and around in a rotary circle. While trying to escape from the circular nightmare, I suddenly looked up and discovered a witches’ broom which is an abnormal growth on a plant which differs from the host tree. Oftentimes the abnormal growth is different and has strange foliage and twigs. This is a major origin of a great number of dwarf and unusual plant cultivars. Often someone recognizes differences and is captivated with them. They usually have smaller foliage, twigs, colors and growth habit and want to study the unusual growth resulting in unique cultivars.
Eastern white cedar, Thuja, and Dwarf hinoki cypress, Chamaecyparis, by Marc Arpag. Noga photos
Differences Between Thuja and Chamaecyparis
The tall host tree that attracted my eye was a mature Atlantic white cypress or cedar, Chamaecyparis thyoides. This native narrowleaf evergreen grows to 40 to 60 feet. It is often compared to the American arborvitae, usually called Eastern white cedar, Thuja occidentalis by the bonsai community. It is also named Northern white cedar or Arborvitae, which is another native evergreen which only reaches heights of 20 to 40 feet. This species is quite vigorous and withstands severe growing locations so many dwarfed and interesting trees are often collected for bonsai shaping. However, the main use of the American arborvitae is for hedge and landscape specimens.
The main differences between the Atlantic white cedar, Chamaecyparis, and Eastern white cedar, Thuja, is the foliage and growth habit. Thuja are typically upright trees with dense foliage which have flattened leaves in one plane. Chamaecyparis, also called false-cypress, have flattened frond-like leaves and are more diverse in shape and colors ranging from green to yellow foliage and often blue. A popular Chamaecyparis used for bonsai is the Hinoki cypress, Chamaecyparis obtusa. A popular Thuja used for bonsai is the common native Arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis which are usually dynamic shaped trees collected in harsh environments.
Of course, I parked my car and climbed to the top of the tree. I was younger then only 19 years old. A few branches with unusual small foliage which were vastly different than the host tree was pruned, taken home and easily rooted.
The cuttings quickly rooted and grew into nice compact rounded shapes. There are hundreds of popular named dwarf Chamaecyparis cultivars, and I did not think this new variety was anything special. As they grew, they were given away to students, collectors of rare plants and nurserymen. Many years later I attended the closing auction of the Mayfair Nursery in Nichols, New York. As I was browsing the available plants I suddenly heard “Valavanis dwarf cypress” bring auctioned. I looked up and saw one of my cuttings being auctioned. Apparently, the nurseryman named this plant after me since I introduced it to the horticultural trade.
Valavanis dwarf cypress, March 2010 before shaping, note lower two branches appear opposite.
Valavanis dwarf cypress, March 2010 after one hour of shaping.
The Valavanis dwarf cypress is easy to root, very winter-hardy, grow quickly and trained for bonsai. I often use them for workshops. In the early 1970s one of my students rooted a cutting and began training it for bonsai. In 2010 he moved into a smaller home, and I was able to purchase his bonsai. In March 2010 the tree was wired and shaped in one afternoon. Only a few smaller branches were trimmed, but rather the annealed copper was magic to change the design according to my understanding and concept of classical bonsai. The tree was allowed to grow unpruned for a year to establish vigor and new growth for training. It quickly developed into an acceptable bonsai in only two years with my horticultural growing techniques and bonsai training techniques.
Valavanis dwarf cypress November 2012, two years after training.
Towards The Future–
Last year after introducing and growing this variety for over 50 years it suddenly mutated and began to grow smaller tight new dark-green growth. This new cultivar will be named “Little Willy” and is still being evaluated before releasing.
Valavanis dwarf cypress before pruning. Valavanis dwarf cypress after pruning
Refining Dave Steele’s Valavanis Dwarf Cypress Bonsai
Today, June 11, 2025, was a beautiful day and we spent a few hours refining and repotting his new bonsai. The tree was carefully evaluated. We felt the triangular silhouette was too wide and the lower branches were about the same length. This created a static image and lacked movement.
The two lower branches were pruned to create different lengths. With the right branch a bit longer and massive created a bit of movement. Other smaller branches were trimmed and moved into better positions. This was easy since Dave had the entire bonsai wired.
Rotated tree to create new front
While studying the tree again we discovered a slightly new more dynamic front. So, the tree was slightly rotated, improving the lower trunk and surface root display. Also, the lower right branch had some of the foliage moved to hide the bare branch. Additionally, the two lower branches opened the trunk view too much. It reminded me of a “flasher.” Although the image does not clearly show this, rotating the tree and adjusting the branches helped to present a more refined appearance.
After the reshaping was completed, as the tree had not been root pruned for over ten years. However, the water drained right through the soil, so the tree remained healthy. The bonsai was transplanted back into the same container.
This is a vintage Japanese Tokoname-ware container. It was originally imported by Yuji Yoshimura in the early 1960s through his Yoshimura Bonsai Company. Although this container might seem at first common shaped, it has patina and a few other highlights which were common many decades ago. The container front is not exactly straight and note the bottom feet do not sit level on the display table, thus adding additional interest.
Valavanis dwarf cypress with two viewing fronts
When completed, we of course looked at the bonsai from all sides. The total aesthetic impact this bonsai has two acceptable fronts. Many of my bonsai have this characteristic, which I try to develop because it comes in very handy when formally displaying bonsai. I use both sides as the front depending on how it is used and displayed considering the scroll and accessory movement. Plus, the displayed front could depend on where the tree is displayed.
When displaying bonsai, the entire exhibit area (not only your tree) or row of displays is important for positioning. If a bonsai has a right to left eye movement, the bonsai looks more comfortable on the left side leading your eye towards the center of the entire row of displays. Likewise, a tree which presents a left to right movement looks better at the other end of the table row with the trunk movement also going toward the center. Ideally, the largest bonsai should be placed in the center of the row for visual stability. A large-size formal upright style would be ideal for this position.
So, if you are fortunate to have a “double sided front” bonsai a distinctive, well-balanced display can be appreciated.
