Collected Pyracantha

misfit11

Omono
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I collected this Pyracantha from an old abandoned farmhouse lot that is owned by the city of Petaluma. The lot is immediately adjacent to the the city wastewater treatment plant where I work. Being that I work for the city, membership has its privileges.
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The house is an historic site and was built before the turn of the century and thus it cannot be torn down. Knowing, this, I think this Pyracantha is quite old. You can perhaps see in the photo that the main trunk (which someone had chopped back some time ago) is completely dead and there are live veins on both sides. These live veins gave life to ~4-5 shoots that went straight up for about 5 feet. I cut these back hard when I collected it and it has responded with lots of backbudding on the branches and suckering at the base. I immediately put it in a hole in the ground after collecting and filled it in with Turface. It seems to be doing well.

The dead portions of the trunk have already begun to rot and the deadwood is quite "punky" in some areas. I intend to preserve the wood soon so it isn't likely to rot away before I can style and carve this thing. Nonetheless I feel that there is some real potential in this guy and I look forward to its future. It is about 12 inches tall and 5 inches across at the base as it stands. Comments and suggestions (virts etc.) are welcome and encouraged. Thanks.
 

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Brian Van Fleet

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Nice, looks like it has some real potential. The 2nd photo shows a good possible front, maybe accentuating the two trunks to the right, and carving away the dead(?) portion on the left.

Having collected 3 clumps of these, I'd encourage you to leave it in the ground for a couple years and let it grow wild. This one isn't out of the woods yet. After a couple years, you'll know it's established and you can really have at it when it's time to style.

You'll have a rough time wiring any coarse branches older than about 3 years, however, because they get pretty stiff, so plan on basically starting over with a trunk and maybe a few lucky, well-positioned main branches once it's recovered. The good news is, as you see, they pop back from everywhere.

Great score...be sure to update.
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Ok...waiting for my wife to get off the phone so we can finish watching "Breaking Bad" and started fooling around with this.

The tree I see is here. As I looked closer, unfortunately the left trunk that seemed to have movement was 2 trunks, so I shaded out the back one. Likely you'd shorten both back to growth, then let a leader run for a couple years to get some taper.

The one I have now I collected in '04 or '05 and started very similar.
 

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misfit11

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Ok...waiting for my wife to get off the phone so we can finish watching "Breaking Bad" and started fooling around with this.

The tree I see is here. As I looked closer, unfortunately the left trunk that seemed to have movement was 2 trunks, so I shaded out the back one. Likely you'd shorten both back to growth, then let a leader run for a couple years to get some taper.

The one I have now I collected in '04 or '05 and started very similar.

Thanks, Brian. It's nice to get some other eyes on these to open up other ideas. I had actually been thinking the first picture was to be the front, but I think maybe you're right. I definitely won't touch this thing for a couple of years though.

Gotta love "Breaking Bad", huh? Just when you think they can't go any further, they do something to make you go "Holy S%&t!!" once more. Season three is off the hook!

I'd be interested to see your Pyracantha if you'd post it. :) I always enjoy seeing your trees.
 
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Brian Van Fleet

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Thanks, Brian. It's nice to get some other eyes on these to open up other ideas. I had actually been thinking the first picture was to be the front, but I think maybe you're right. I definitely won't touch this thing for a couple of years though.

Gotta love "Breaking Bad", huh? Just when you think they can't go any further, they do something to make you go "Holy S%&t!!" once more. Season three is off the hook!

I'd be interested to see your Pyracantha if you'd post it. :) I always enjoy seeing your trees.

Nowhere near as exciting as Breaking Bad, but here ya go...

1. After sawing back the bush to stumps about 24" tall...the circled area would become the tree in the series. Early spring 2005.

2. After collecting it in 3 separate clumps. Left clump was the prize...but it didn't make it. Right one was given away to a friend. Center clump is the first shot of this tree in a pot; before left trunk was removed.

3. After growing for a full year plus, the 3rd shot is mid '06. It sat on the ground 2 years, and the roots escaped and it was impossible to move the tree!

4. Repotted into a big mica pot in '07, and chopped back hard.

5. After growing for the full season in '07
 

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Brian Van Fleet

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6. In '08, grown freely and allowed to flower and set fruit; wired.

7. In '10, cut back hard, wired, and potted into a smaller pot, shown in April '10 starting to bloom.

8. Unwired and pruned hard in May '10.

9. Current photo, in berry again, July '11.
 

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misfit11

Omono
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Nice, Brian. Its a shame that the largest of the three didn't survive. It looks like it had a very nice base/nebari. I like your tree a lot and it is really beginning to be a fine specimen in its own right. What are its dimensions?
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Thanks, it is coming along pretty well.

It's 23" tall, and 7" wide 2" above the soil line. The pot is 18x13x3.

The left side was sawed off underneath, and I've been coaxing along some new roots that will eventually form a decent nebari. That's on this thread that I seemed to have hijacked...:eek:
 

discusmike

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Wish i could find some pyro's like that,nice stuff.
 

crhabq

Mame
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Brian,

I don't have a nice pyro yet. But I do live about 1/2 a mile from Walt's car wash. I've seen them filming there on a few occasions on my way home from work at night. I'm also a big fan of the show.
Good luck with your pyro, its got a lot of potential

Ray
 

Jason

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Nice tree Brian. I'll have some Pyracantha that will rival that in about twenty (years). Watch out!
 
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