Biltmore Gardens Trees, Asheville, NC

[Brian Van Fleet]

Here are a few nice examples of mature trees from a recent tour at Biltmore. It's good to see what they do naturally when they have room to spread out. Enjoy!

Beech:

Zelkova:

Flowering Cherry:

Laceleaf Japanese red maple:

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Persian Ironwood:

Spruce:

Redbud:

Hinoki Cypress(?)

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Native Azalea:

Upright Japanese yew:

Cherry:

Young Japanese Maple:

 

[bonsai barry]

THanks for posting these Brian. I think my favorite was the Lacebark Japanese red maple. Although I'm sure that the Cherry in bloom will be a favorite, too.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Dawn redwood or bald cypress:

Weeping something...cool cascading branch structure:

Bald cypress knees:

 

[Dav4]

Great pics, Brian. I love the Biltmore and it's gardens. I think the most impressive trees I saw there might have been the tulip poplars planted along the drive...biggest, most massive deciduous trees I've ever seen.

 

[jk_lewis]

I hope while you were in the area you visited the bonsai collection at the NC Arboretum.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I hope while you were in the area you visited the bonsai collection at the NC Arboretum.

Not this time, thought about it once, but we stayed at the inn and never left the grounds. Is it close to Biltmore? Family lives in Highlands, so we are up here visiting fairly often.

 

[Dave Leppo]

Something I’ve noticed: the deciduous trees DO NOT have a main trunk that extends up thru the central axis to the apex of the trees, but only go up about 1/3 or less the overall height (or have multiple trunks). The conifers do. Perhaps we still design our deciduous too much like pine trees.

 

[Ang3lfir3]

Something I’ve noticed: the deciduous trees DO NOT have a main trunk that extends up thru the central axis to the apex of the trees, but only go up about 1/3 or less the overall height (or have multiple trunks). The conifers do. Perhaps we still design our deciduous too much like pine trees.

very observant..... .... yup most D trees still look too much like pines.... the trick is what we call "sub-trucks" .... after a main thick trunk it should shortly change into multiple slightly less thick areas that branch off etc...

 

[rockm]

"Something I’ve noticed: the deciduous trees DO NOT have a main trunk that extends up thru the central axis to the apex of the trees, but only go up about 1/3 or less the overall height (or have multiple trunks)."

Unless you see one that does The Bald cypress and dawn redwood are deciduous trees...Yeah, they're not the typical D trees, but I've seen beech that resemble pine with upright single leaders. Pin oaks do that too around here, as do some other oak species. To say that all deciduous trees act in one way is blind. And saying that you shouldn't style a decidous tree like a pine misses a natural variation that some D trees have.

Don't believe me? Do a search on "largest American Beech" or an image search on Pecan tree, pin oak, etc. See what pops up...
Here's one:
http://www.texastribune.org/texas-e...-growing-water-needs--and-conservation/print/

and another
http://www.web2.cnre.vt.edu/4h/remarkabletree/detail.cfm?AutofieldforPrimaryKey=1623

I understand the complaint that some D trees are styled "like pines," but I also know single upright trunks are not the sole province of conifers.

 

[Ang3lfir3]

I think the whole styled like a pine thing tends to go a far bit deeper than just single trunks of course... on top of that is the tendency for people to put pointy tops on their trees... which _often_ simply looks goofy on D trees

 

[Dave Leppo]

I am aware that there is discussion and criticism about Deciduous Bonsai being styled like Pines. Usually I have read this with regards to branch placement and pointy tops. I noticed two days ago while driving that many (not all) Deciduous lack full-height trunks, especially when they’ve grown in a field rather than a forest, and noticed that pattern in the Biltmore examples.

I have caught myself looking for trees in nature that follow Bonsai principles; they can be found, but for me this is a mistake. Forcing the tree to conform to a human esthetic.

Are we to make potted trees that look like bonsai, or bonsai that look like trees? Depends what makes you happy, I guess.


(I do know that not all trees follow either pattern. There are multi-trunk Conifers and single full-height trunk Deciduous, so no need to point that out.)

 

[rockm]

"Are we to make potted trees that look like bonsai, or bonsai that look like trees? Depends what makes you happy, I guess."

This the question, but neither one is better than the other, really. There are many excellent bonsai that don't look like "real" trees and vice versa. The problem with either is at the extremes.

 

[jk_lewis]

Not this time, thought about it once, but we stayed at the inn and never left the grounds. Is it close to Biltmore? Family lives in Highlands, so we are up here visiting fairly often.

I-40 west to I-26 then one exit (#33) and follow the signs. About 10 minutes.

 

[jk_lewis]

If someone would pick up a copy of Petrides' "A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs" there is a section near the front that provides typical silhouettes of all kinds of trees, including deciduous. Well worth using as a kind of reference to how a species perhaps should look.

 

[Ang3lfir3]

If someone would pick up a copy of Petrides' "A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs" there is a section near the front that provides typical silhouettes of all kinds of trees, including deciduous. Well worth using as a kind of reference to how a species perhaps should look.

does it include the changes in shape that occur with age??? this is my only concern.... the intended depiction of age being congruous with the design .... either way its not something I want to debate with people ...

 

[JudyB]

That persian ironwood is delicious! I've always wanted to visit Biltmore... Thanks for posting these.