Museum Donor and Buttonwood Queen Dies at 91

The National Bonsai Foundation is saddened to hear that bonsai artist Mary Madison, a dear friend to NBF and donor to the U.S. National Arboretum’s collection at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, passed away July 28 at 91 years old. 

Known as the Buttonwood Queen for her revered work on buttonwoods, a species native to the United States, Mary was an icon in the bonsai world. She grew up in Florida, often traveling to the natural beauty displayed in the Florida Keys, which sparked her passion for horticulture. Her first taste of bonsai came in the form of photos from a former boyfriend who served in Japan after World War II who sent her pictures of bonsai, which spurred her to try tree training herself. Mary ended up studying under two world-renowned bonsai masters, John Naka and Ben Oki, until their deaths. 

Throughout her more than 60 years in bonsai, Mary served as a mentor to many rising and established bonsai artists, including Ryan Neil. In a moving tribute to Mary, Bonsai Mirai student and deadwood artist David Cutchin wrote, “Mary exemplified what it is to be a good person. She treated everyone with kindness and humility, her resolve was to do what’s right and forgive regardless of the situation… Quitting wasn’t a part of her vocabulary. She was a catalyst of human decency, hard work, and love to anyone she befriended.”

Bonsai Societies of Florida recently named their annual native species award the “Mary Madison Award” to pay homage to her immense contributions to the art of bonsai. 

Museum Volunteer LeeAnn Duling and First Curator’s Apprentice Sophia Osorio repotting one of Mary’s buttonwoods.

Two of Mary’s trees reside at the Museum, one being a buttonwood she donated in 1990. She was also the original collector of a buttonwood that ended up in the office of the Central Intelligence Agency before they gifted the tree to the national collection in 2019. 

NBF is grateful to have often crossed paths with Mary, as well as for her leadership as one of the first women in bonsai. 

“Mary embodied the spirit and authenticity of the Everglades and, with her warm and engaging personality, she opened our eyes to the beauty of tropical bonsai,” NBF Chair Emeritus Felix Laughlin said. “Like her good friend John Naka, she will always be remembered and celebrated as an iconic and beloved teacher who inspired the world of bonsai.”

NBF Chair Emeritus Jack Sustic said Mary’s kindness and eagerness to share her bonsai knowledge and passion inspired everyone she met.

“It was such an honor for me to care for Mary’s buttonwood while serving as curator,” Sustic said. “Mary's buttonwood in the North American Collection is a quiet testament to her love and passion for bonsai and will serve as a living legacy to a life dedicated to this wonderful art."

HISTORICAL TREE SPOTLIGHT: A Buttonwood From The CIA

The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum has just declassified its latest tree: a buttonwood, or Conocarpus erectus.

Chelsea Robinson, a spokeswoman for the Central Intelligence Agency, alerted National Bonsai Foundation Executive Director Johann Klodzen that the CIA had obtained a bonsai tree and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. The tree in the agency’s possession was the buttonwood, which is approximately 150 years old.

But how did such a historic tree end up in the hands of one of the nation’s top security departments?  

The buttonwood was first collected from the Florida Everglades about 30 years ago, changed owners multiple times and ended up in the hands of Bjorn Bjorholm, a bonsai professional. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) had asked Bjorholm to purchase trees for them to give as gifts to various recipients, including the buttonwood for the CIA. The UAE presented the tree to the CIA in August, in "recognition of our countries' strong and historic partnership."   

Dr. Richard Olsen, the U.S. National Arboretum's director, immediately accepted the buttonwood from the CIA on behalf of the Museum. Museum curator Michael James and gardener Erin Holden drove to the CIA under strict security to pick up the Museum’s newest addition. 

The buttonwood currently sits in the “growout” area, a place for trees that are not currently on display, until the tree recovers from its travels.

Museum curator Michael James said volunteers placed the tree into partial shade to help the tree adjust from living in a dark office at the CIA for nearly two weeks. James said they regularly watered the buttonwood for about a week and evaluated how quickly the soil dried before the next watering. 

“At that point the foliage condition was good, so we moved the tree into full sun and fertilized it,” he said. “Now the buttonwood is pushing out new growth, but not uniformly over the entire foliage canopy.”

James said volunteers are taking note of the tree’s weak and strong areas and cut off longer shoots to redirect energy to weaker branches. 

“When the strength of the growth is balanced over the canopy, the tree will be wired to shape the canopy in a way that is complementary to the twisted trunk that has lived through a hurricane or two,” he said. 

Gina Haspel, the director of the CIA, sent a letter thanking the Museum for ensuring the tree remained healthy and cared for before its transfer to the Museum.

“While the CIA has many talented officers, we are not skilled in the art of bonsai maintenance, and so we are incredibly grateful that the tree will be preserved in the Museum’s celebrated collection and that it is in such expert hands,” Haspel said.

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Read more about this unique acquisition of this tree in this article by Washington Post columnist, John Kelly.