Aerial Roots and Banyan Trees
In the tropics there are trees that appear to be a grove or small forest of trees and may cover a few acres. On close inspection they are actually a single tree with secondary trunks arising from its branches.
Aerial roots - Roots that form and remain above the soil.
Air layering - A technique of propagation that is used to encourage roots to form on a branch or trunk of a tree.
Alkaline soil - Bonsai soil having a ph rating over 7.0.
Most Ficus develop aerial roots. For the roots to develop, they need a nice warm climate and lots of humidity. You may choose to keep the roots or cut them off. When the trees get to a more mature stage, they usually develop figs.
Often the presence of aerial roots or the general Gestalt of the plant will give them away. Their fruit are also distinct.
The bark is a smooth gray with a lot of aerial roots if you make sure it gets a lot of humidity.
Most rainforest figs produce aerial roots from the branches and trunk. Whether to leave these on or not and incorporate them into the design is a controversial issue for bonsai enthusiasts, although it does matter on the overall design of the tree.
Readily produces aerial roots given high humidity levels. Rarely drops leaves and can withstand hard pruning.
FICUS RUBIGINOSA/ Port Jackson Fig ...
The tree has developed some aerial roots which over time will introduce some maturity into the overall appearance. A noted bonsai-feature of the Port Jackson fig is the leaf.
A characteristic of many figs is that aerial roots are produced from the trunk and branches. Some bonsai enthusiasts like to incorporate these aerial roots into the tree design. The effect can be stunning, particularly in clasped-to-rock styles.
The Banyan produces aerial roots that take root and grow into woody trunks. Eventually making it almost impossible to identify the main trunk.
These trees look exceptionally beautiful because of their aerial roots which, when minimized look like a magic tree. This, and the fact that the tree almost grows by itself, makes the banyan bonsai tree a hot favorite all over the world.
They grow in temperate areas and enjoy tropical conditions, such as those in northern Australia. For the avid bonsai enthusiast, the schefflera bonsai will form aerial roots readily and look fantastic in styles incorporating roots (root over ...
 See also: Bonsai, Tree, Trunk, Plant, Ficus
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