I have read that Kurume azalea are good for 20-30 years as bonsai, and this one has been containerized now for 20. Unfortunately, I’ve known it wasn’t long for the road for the last few years. I’m glad to have enjoyed it in a bonsai pot since I styled it with Ben Oki over 15 years ago. But the trunks have large dead spots in the back, and have gradually rotted away until some right-side branches critical to the current design have died. So this is the last time to enjoy the show of this twin-trunked azalea. I am satisfied that I have done well by the design set by Mr. Oki all those years ago in an Iowa machine shop, but bonsai is a 4-dimension art, with that 4th dimension being time, which takes its toll on everything.
So here is the show, as of 4/15:
Here are areas…
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