$15 clearence Austrian Pine

[Iowa newbie]

Found this in my local nursery in clearance for $15 and figured it was worth a shot. I think I can use it as a landscape tree in the worst case scenario. Its budding out but definitely had a rough season or two with quite a bit of dieback. The top section looks to be gone, no active buds growing, but the second branch down is budding out.

Its got a good base and some good branches but is it worth trying to bonsai?

 

[Cofga]

I have one that I’ve been working on for 4 years now. They back bud like crazy on relatively new wood and occasionally further back. I had a few branches this spring with about 10 new buds so you get to make a lot of choices. The needles on mine have been reduced by about half over that time. They seem to take a while to develop a nice crackled bark but I think it was worth the effort. Basically treat it as a single flush pine and experiment with stying it, you don’t have a big investment in it to lose.

 

[19Mateo83]

That’s a steal! Good looking!

 

[Srt8madness]

Last one I saw around here was 160 for a tree that had 6 branches around a whorl and chopped above it. So ya, $15, put that in the clearance contest!

 

[canoeguide]

I have zero experience with the species but for $15 I'd buy that and get some. Good find!

 

[Potawatomi13]

Possibilities exist for imagination to explore.