Chu (16 to 24 Inches, "Two-Hand")
The Chu is a category of bonsai trees that ranges from 16 to 24 inches in height. It is considered a medium large size and can accommodate a variety of styles and shapes. The Chu bonsai requires a pot that is proportional to its trunk and foliage, and that has adequate drainage and aeration. The Chu bonsai should be placed in a location that receives partial sun and shade, and that protects it from extreme temperatures and winds. The Chu bonsai needs regular watering, pruning, wiring, and fertilizing to maintain its health and appearance.
This Japanese Hornbeam was imported from Japan by bonsai artist Jim Doyle of Nature’s Way Bonsai Nursery in 2005. It has been in training since 2005. The tree was acquired by the Krohn Conservatory in 2016 when it was donated by Bonsai Society member D. Brown.
It is an informal upright style. The pot is made by Sara Rayner and is round, unglazed, brown in color and is 5 inches deep.
This Ponderosa Pine tree was field collected, with permission, (yamadori) by Bonsai Society member Larry Jackel. In 2004 it was a demonstration tree for the Bonsai Society of Greater Cincinnati and was won in a raffle by Society member Bill Katz who subsequently donated it to the Krohn Conservatory.
It is a slant style. The pot is oval, unglazed, medium brown in color and is 3 inches deep.
This Dwarf Japanese Garden Juniper was purchased from Frank’s Nursery in Cincinnati for $7.00. It was originally styled by Ben Oki in 1984 and was donated to the Krohn Conservatory by Bonsai Society member John Carroll in 2002.
It is a slant style. The pot is Japanese, oval, unglazed, brown in color and is 2 inches deep.
This Bougainvillea was donated by Bonsai Society member Judy Fister, and Bob Hill from the Dayton Bonsai Society in 2018.
It is a mother/daughter composition and informal upright style. The pot is oval, glazed, beige in color and is 4 inches deep.
The first European to describe these plants was Philibert Commerçon, a botanist accompanying French Navy admiral Louis Antoine de Bougainville during his voyage of circumnavigation of the Earth. It was first published by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789.
This Taiwan Fig was donated by Bonsai Society member Doug Hawley in 1999.
It is an informal upright style. The pot is rectangular, unglazed, brown in color and is 5 inches deep.