Any examples of Pitch pine/ Pinus rigida?

[Shogun610]

found a gem at a native plant nursery. A pitch pine that was sitting in a shallow pot for years. Really old bark, back buds like crazy but the base is thick and it has nice taper. I can’t wait for this to recover for first styling next year. Possibly fall if it responds well and keep in the greenhouse. I posted it before but it got ignored.

@jmmzpsu14 - Regardless of what the id of your tree is, that is a nice compact root system, this tree definitely has possibilities as bonsai. Pinus rigida and Pinus echinata are in the same sub-section of the genus, they are close enough related that they hybridize where ranges overlap. Both have the habit of epicormic sprouts. Pinus virginiana is in the "Contorta" sub-section of Pinus, related to Lodgepole and Jack pines. The Lodgepole, Shore pine, & Jack pine group have a good track record for bonsai, so no matter which it is, it is good for bonsai.

Pinus rigida - needles in bundles of 3, frequently twisted, 2 to 5 inches in length (6 cm to 13 cm length) and relatively stout compared to EWP.

Pinus virginiana - usually needles in bundles of 2. Needles usually 0.75 inch to 3.5 inches, (2 to 8 cm) usually twisted, sheath at base of needle bundle is greater than 2.5 mm in length.

Pinus echinata - needles in bundles of 2 and 3, on the same tree. needle length 2.75 to 4.25 inches long (7 cm to 11 cm length).

Eastern White Pine, Pinus strobus - has needles in bundles of 5 and is a mediocre, problematic species for bonsai. Not impossible to create bonsai with, but definitely requires skill and luck, generally results are disappointing. Needles too long, internodes too long, insufficient back budding to remedy the first 2 problems.

I wonder if the Echinata is multi flush .. in the pics I posted, it had what looked like last years needles very short , and prior longer, with buds at tips. This was their arrangement in the pot they lifted it out of. It was in a loose potting mix , so I left soil behind , but a lot of it fell right out, the roots of the Atlantic cedar and the pine were tangled and encircled the pot. They said it was in that pot for easily 10 years according to what the one we of the native nursery said.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I have zero hands on experience with P. echinata. I would predict it could be "double flush". Key would be the length of your growing season.

For example, Japanese black pine is a "proven" double flush pine. However, to get the double flush on a JBP, you need to defoliate 100 days or more before your average first frost date. In my climate, I can have a very cool spring, where daytime highs don't get above 60 F for much of April and May. JBP do not "wake up" until they have a week of daytime highs in the 70's F or above. This means some years my JBP do not start growing until middle of June. When that happens, there is insufficient time to our average first frost date. You can not decandle a JBP if your "summer" is only 90 days. You need at least 110 days or more, so you can do the decandling at the 100 days before first frost. So even though JBP is a "proven" double flush pines, I look at the calendar to see when candles start growing, some years it will be too late, and then that year, my JBP is treated as a single flush pine.

I suspect but have no experience, that P. echinata will respond well if decandled about 100 days before your average first frost date. You will have to experiment, or get feedback from someone with experience. Since branches on pines are pretty independent, you can test by decandling only one branch on a given date. Decandle a second branch on a different date, and leave one or two branches unmolested. Then gauge the response.

 

[Shogun610]

It got knocked over by the wind today even though on the ground, discovered it when I came home from work. The roots were kinda exposed, some flakey bark came off ugh.. . So I did an emergency repot. Hope it survives :/

 

[Paradox]

It got knocked over by the wind today even though on the ground, discovered it when I came home from work. The roots were kinda exposed, some flakey bark came off ugh.. . So I did an emergency repot. Hope it survives :/

Get a bungie cord and strap that guy down so it cant get knocked over again

 

[Shogun610]

Get a bungie cord and strap that guy down so it cant get knocked over again

I did I tied it down

 

[Kanorin]

A couple of pictures of pitch pines from a state park in the Catskills of NY. This first one looks like it got knocked/blown over a few years ago and kept on growing!





I also collected some cones to plant some from seed.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

@Kanorin if you have any spare seeds, I'm willing to pay for them! Not a whole lot though, like 2-5 cents a piece. Depending on how much you have of course, because shipping from the US is a beech and a half.
I've had some bad germination rates with my own supplier from Russia.

 

[Kanorin]

@Kanorin if you have any spare seeds, I'm willing to pay for them! Not a whole lot though, like 2-5 cents a piece. Depending on how much you have of course, because shipping from the US is a beech and a half.
I've had some bad germination rates with my own supplier from Russia.

I got these on a trip visiting my folks and only got enough for myself this time. There may be some others on here who live closer that might be able to help. Otherwise, I can get some for you next year!

 

[Shogun610]

Working with My teacher on collecting Pitch Pine in fall and spring in some locations s he knows and have gotten in contact with the land owners. Said he wants to clean them up or repot . The big one in wood box was repotted I forgot to take updated pic..but these are show worthy IMO Pitch pines as bonsai , the smaller one is meh . There are other great examples too shared. Natures way does get good ones in also, there was one Dan Robinson had, and Mirai has a pitch Pine too.

 

[Tidal Bonsai]

Working with My teacher on collecting Pitch Pine in fall and spring in some locations s he knows and have gotten in contact with the land owners. Said he wants to clean them up or repot . The big one in wood box was repotted I forgot to take updated pic..but these are show worthy IMO Pitch pines as bonsai , the smaller one is meh . There are other great examples too shared. Natures way does get good ones in also, there was one Dan Robinson had, and Mirai has a pitch Pine too.

Beautiful!

 

[Potawatomi13]

Wood box tree is one stunner. Small tree with Masters of the Universe lazer beam is cool effect

 

[Shogun610]

Wood box tree is one stunner. Small tree with Masters of the Universe lazer beam is cool effect

Lol oh that’s just my camera lenses that’s cracked on my phone.

 

[Njyamadori]

I found this cool pitch pine but beginner me messed it up in the winter . It was perfect for a literati/bunjin style. But I wanted a upright style but there are tons of these that I can collect !

 

[Potawatomi13]

I found this cool pitch pine but beginner me messed it up in the winter . It was perfect for a literati/bunjin style. But I wanted a upright style but there are tons of these that I can collect !

HOW messed up?? Either of upper hanging branches create inspirational visions of upright Cascade.

 

[Njyamadori]

HOW messed up?? Either of upper hanging branches create inspirational visions of upright Cascade.

Oh true here’s some trees that I don’t know if they are good enough to collect

 

[Shogun610]

HOW messed up?? Either of upper hanging branches create inspirational visions of upright Cascade.

Oh true here’s some trees that I don’t know if they are good enough to collect

Did you wire them in the wild?

 

[Njyamadori]

Did you wire them in the wild?

Yeah when I first started doing bonsai for real a year ago . It was for practice but I forgot to take it off until today ! I want to know if these have any potential and if I should collect them to actually style them next fall

 

[Potawatomi13]

Yeah when I first started doing bonsai for real a year ago . It was for practice but I forgot to take it off until today ! I want to know if these have any potential and if I should collect them to actually style them next fall

IF root systems collectible there exist interesting possibilities.

 

[HoneyHornet]

Also being from New Jersey I see a ton of these as well and always consider collecting them but they can definitely be finicky and also the main problem is that they are usually in majority of that Pine Barrens sand and so the roots run pretty far

 

[HoneyHornet]

Oh true here’s some trees that I don’t know if they are good enough to collect

U in south jersey?