Green Island Ficus

I first came across this Green Island ficus (Ficus microcarpa ‘Green Island’) in December 2024 while visiting Penjing Bonsai Gardens in Melbourne, Florida. Something about the tree caught my attention, but I left without buying it. When I returned in August 2025, it was still there, and this time I decided to bring it home.

Over the following year, I spent time getting to know the tree and thinking about its future. One of my first major decisions was removing a large branch that was relatively straight, lacked taper, and didn’t contribute much to the direction I had in mind. Beyond that, I largely allowed the tree to grow while considering the next steps in its development.

In the summer of 2026, I decided it was time for its first major styling. I started by completely defoliating the tree to expose the branch structure, followed by cleaning up unwanted growth, selecting branches, and wiring the entire tree. The final styling was done alongside my teacher, Hugo Zamora Luna.

The ficus is far from finished. For now, it’s back on the bench, growing and recovering as I look forward to the next stage of its development.