Vance Wood
Lord Mugo
It is odd to me that you mention good bark on Mugos. It was not alwas the case when Mugos were dicussed. It was always said by those who were certain they knew what they were saying was true, which was that Mugos did not posses a decent bark at all.
Then it was said that only the Mugos from Europe could make decent bonsai. It was further claimed that the Mugos grown in America were not the same trees that grew naturally in Europe, even though something obtained in a nursery may possess the same botanical name as those in Europe. It is in this point where we find the real crux of the matter. The methods of cultivation in the case of Mugo pines more than almost any other Pine, determines how the tree will grow for many years.
Then it was said that only the Mugos from Europe could make decent bonsai. It was further claimed that the Mugos grown in America were not the same trees that grew naturally in Europe, even though something obtained in a nursery may possess the same botanical name as those in Europe. It is in this point where we find the real crux of the matter. The methods of cultivation in the case of Mugo pines more than almost any other Pine, determines how the tree will grow for many years.