Identify this pine?

[Maloghurst]

hello can anyone identify this pine and tell me if its useable for bonsai? I pass this little tree everyday near my home. I always look at it and wonder if it could be use for bonsai. The branches are long and not ramified much. Branches seem to grow in radial pattern where they grow and the needles are all at the ends of the branch. There is a mature one just 20 feet away. Tree looks like it was broken early on and was stunted already. Now it seems to have been hit or vandalized. I emailed the owner to see if I could harvest it for personal use. But am I wasting my time? Thanks, Mike

 

[Vance Wood]

Looks like a Ponderosa. Yes you can make bonsai of them but it is quite a project. There is an outside chance it is a Lodge Pole Pine but these needles look too long. Unless the needles are in clusters of five then you could be looking at Sugar Pine, Western White or Limber Pine. Or it is possible it is a feral of some exotic species escaped someone's landscape.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I would not waste my time on this tree. If it survives collecting, you will have a boring trunk in need of grafting to chase the foliage back to a usable location closer to the trunk. If you want to try a pine, best to start with one grown for bonsai.

 

[Maloghurst]

Thanks guys!

 

[Cypress187]

You could try to prune it abit each year and see if it recovers, maybe it's better material in 5 years?

 

[ysrgrathe]

Looks perfect for "run over by a truck" style.

 

[jeremy_norbury]

Looks perfect for "run over by a truck" style.

Indeed - it has the advantage that almost anything you'd do to it would improve it. I'd dig a large hole and bury this road-kill, personally.