Monster Procumbens

[fourteener]

Usually these low shrubs grow laterally and root themselves along the way. These extra rooting points keeps old specimens from getting a very large trunk. I'm helping an retiring "mom and pop" nursery as they close down and begin to sell their property. He pays me in plants! This tree never established any roots except on the main trunk!!


Here it is on their stone wall. The stone kept it from rooting elsewhere for 30 years.


No rooting elsewhere mean the trunk had the chance to really swell up.


Here it is after I trimmed off the exceptionally long extension, cut out the dead or long twigs with only tiny bits of foliage on the tips.

 

[Giga]

Oh, that is a nice find - isn't it a little late to collect though? at least in my area its way late.

 

[fourteener]

Oh, that is a nice find - isn't it a little late to collect though? at least in my area its way late.

Northern MN, still 50 and foggy and rainy here on the shores of Lake Superior. We get summer from July 15-16th on a good year.

 

[Paradox]

Wow.

Thanks for posting this. I have a couple on the ground. Now I know what to do to get a bigger trunk.

 

[fourteener]

Wow.

Thanks for posting this. I have a couple on the ground. Now I know what to do to get a bigger trunk.

Every year I'd make sure there aren't points where the branches are touching the ground and trying to root themselves. I've investigated some large junipers over the years and so often it's just a thumb-sized trunk on the whole mass.

 

[KennedyMarx]

Damn! I've been on a procumbens kick lately, but this is impressive. Probably the beefiest one I have seen pics of. Keep us updated.

 

[Vance Wood]

Usually these low shrubs grow laterally and root themselves along the way. These extra rooting points keeps old specimens from getting a very large trunk. I'm helping an retiring "mom and pop" nursery as they close down and begin to sell their property. He pays me in plants! This tree never established any roots except on the main trunk!!

View attachment 106169
Here it is on their stone wall. The stone kept it from rooting elsewhere for 30 years.

View attachment 106170
No rooting elsewhere mean the trunk had the chance to really swell up.

View attachment 106172
Here it is after I trimmed off the exceptionally long extension, cut out the dead or long twigs with only tiny bits of foliage on the tips.

Good point about this; you don't find trunks like that on nursery trees.

 

[Eric Group]

Wow! Great find 14er! Do you have a little better post collection pic? I am sure it isn't a whole lot to look at yet, but maybe a side view or something with it by itself would he'll get a feel of what you are working with... That sharp bend in the trunk seems to lend itself to a cascading style, is that your plan for this one?

So over done with this type of Juniper but.. If they were all done with material like this I doubt people would say that in a negative way! Quite a specimen...

 

[fourteener]

Here are some shots after a summer of recovery. Few signs of extension, but it does need to have a good winter to keep moving forward.

 

[justBonsai]

View attachment 122041 View attachment 122040 View attachment 122039

Here are some shots after a summer of recovery. Few signs of extension, but it does need to have a good winter to keep moving forward.

Monster trunk indeed. I've been wanting to find a large juniper to mess with too. Maybe if I get some time to look through nurseries when I get some time off during the holidays.

 

[Eric Group]

View attachment 122041 View attachment 122040 View attachment 122039

Here are some shots after a summer of recovery. Few signs of extension, but it does need to have a good winter to keep moving forward.

That is a healthy looking Juni I'd say! I think it is going to make it!

 

[Vance Wood]

It is true about Procumbens Junipers: If you want to find a good trunk you have to select a large tree.

 

[petegreg]

Oh my world, that's the trunk. Mighty tree and the curves...

 

[miker]

Nice to see that these are extremely winter hardy. I was wondering since I have one that did just fine in Central Florida. I guess it should need no protection in zone 6b.

I have never seen one as beefy as the one posted by the op. Excellent find.

 

[drew33998]

Congrats on an awesome piece of material. Great to see that it put on growth. Hopefully it will keep growing for you for the next couple years so you can start work on it.

 

[fourteener]

Here's the backside of the beast. All the foliage curls to the front, the back has the best visibility of the trunk.

 

[Giga]

Glad 2 c it doing well! That's a very epic tree

 

[Nomiyama]

Excellent potential! I'm looking forward to seeing it evolve in the future.

 

[just.wing.it]

Good find, very nice!

 

[chicago1980]

View attachment 127390 View attachment 127391 Here's the backside of the beast. All the foliage curls to the front, the back has the best visibility of the trunk.

Wonderful tree.