The Lobster

by BonsaiMary

Joe Samuels was traditional in many ways. However, every so often he would surprise us. This buttonwood became one of his favorites. He called it "The Lobster". (Joe had a great imagination.)

I think his appreciation of this plant was more for its survival than its bonsai design. He valued the many years of weather which created the driftwood; and the thin lifeline which travels to the top to support a limited amount of foliage.

To imagine how it was growing in the wild, picture the tree lying down flat. Essentially, it was an exotic, somewhat flat piece of exposed, weathered trunk and roots with a sprout of green.