Pinus contorta subsp. murrayana

darrellw

While I was looking at the huge JBPs, I also found some trees labeled as "Mountain Pine - Pinus murriyana". They looked like they might be good bonsai material, small compact needles and a fair amount of natural movement in the trunks.

I tried to search for that species, but the closest match I could find was Pinus contorta subsp. murrayana:

http://www.botanik.uni-bonn.de/coni...n/murrayana.htm

Assuming that this is what the nursery actually has (the description seems to match, and it would be a native for my area), are these generally good subjects for bonsai?

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Vance Wood

You found the right tree, and they do make good bonsai. I had a couple of them when I was living in California in the 60's. Mine were harvested from the Siskiou Mountains. They are commonly called Lodge Pole Pines.

__________________
The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

Ralph

Pictures say it all:

http://images.google.com/images?svn...+bonsai&spell=1


http://www.bonsaiboon.com/bib/bibimages2/2005/2005_38.jpg


Look like good bonsai material to me

__________________
Emerging from winter slumber
Bonsai trees burst buds anew
Spring is upon us!


-Paul S.

darrellw

OK, I went back and took some pictures to two of the smaller trees. Any ideas if these back bud well? Right now, either would make a nice bunjin. The smaller tree is about 3', the larger one 4', but it has a nice drooping branch about 3' up.

Hopefully you can make the trees out of the background, a nursery sure isn't the best place to find a background to shoot against!

These are in 5 gallon pots.

Vance, if you read this, do your training pots come in a size suitable for transplanting from a 5 gallon?

Attached Images

	contorta1.jpg (30.7 KB, 73 views)
	contorta2.jpg (49.9 KB, 60 views)

Vance Wood

Five gallon? Yes they do. But the planters are designed to be used after an initial reduction of the soil ball which would probably be best done next spring for this tree. Email me for details.

__________________
The only finished bonsai is a dead one; me 1992 MABA Des Moines Iowa

Master-S.T-

They look wonderul, Look at the trunk , Its an Huge Informal as is pretty much lol. Keep us posted.

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Always live up to the feelness..Which life may bring-

darrellw

I thought I'd give you all a quick update. I did end up buying the first tree. I need much more time to contemplate its future, but it will probably become some type of literati. It is currently 35" tall (90 cms), and the trunk is 2" (5 cms) at the base. The trunk is still pretty flexible, so I may try to accentuate the existing curves, and I will put it in a training planter in the spring, and try to redirect some of the energy into the lower branches.

I was wrong about the pot size, it is in a 15 gallon (56 l) pot. Looked at too many bigger trees that day!