So, I've been toying with the idea of making a bonsai tree for a few years. At first I was looking into starting one from seed but it seemed to be a decade-long project before the tree would even be ready for a real bonsai-like pruning, and so I never planted anything. Lately, however, I have noticed that at the foot of my landlord's lilac tree, there are some branches starting from the ground and sprouting buds at the tip. These tiny trunk-like branches must be less than a centimeter in diameter but they're definitely woody. It almost looks like someone mowed the lawn over them to prevent them from becoming full trees, but they grew and lived anyway and now that springtime is here, they are coming back to life. My question is: is there any way I could make a bonsai out of these? If I choose a particularly short and stout branch (about a centimeter in diameter at the base, maybe three or four inches long), could I harvest it from the ground, stick it in a pot and have a bonsai? Would it ever flower in some years? I'm completely novice here. I've read information on bonsais compulsively, but every guide I stumble upon seems to have some sort of information lacking. If anyone knows of a good source of information on how to care for these amazing creatures, I would love to be directed to it. Thanks a lot!
They sound like suckers, commonly encountered growing from the roots of Lilacs. If it looks like someone mowed the suckers along with the lawn, they probably did. No reason you couldn't dig one up and grow it in a pot. I don't think the bonsai people are into growing lilacs too much because the leaves tend to be fairly large. Here is a species guide for Lilacs from a bonsai site: http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Syringa.html
Bonsai proper? Doubtful, for the reason suggested by maf. However, you can prune and train it into the form of a small tree, and grow it in a pot, so you can achieve a similar effect on a larger scale....
Lilacs can make very nice bonsai , just choose a small leaved variety . http://www.buffalobonsaisociety.com/Images%20for%20Print/2008BonsaiShowPRT/26-Lilac-DickSmith-15-Prt.jpg
