Pinyon pines

[Potawatomi13]

One thing not mentioned: Once sap starts to move hard Spring freeze can be deadly. Perhaps 8(?) years past this happened here. It seemed most everyone in club lost trees. As personally remembered I lost 8 trees from Magnolia to Pine. Prized Apple Literati just about to flower just dried up dead to roots.

 

[Colorado]

Pinyon is becoming one of my favorite pine species for bonsai. Short needles, beautiful blueish needle color, backbuds generously, gnarly bark. It is a great species IMO.

 

[MMJNICE]

I suppose it matter what species of pinyon pines you are talking about. I first took notice of pinyon pines while rock climbing at Joshua Tree (Mojave and Colorado deserts). The Pinyon species there of course being Pinus monophylla (single needle). Winters there are relatively warm still but it does snow at higher elevations? The pines are found maybe 4000 feet lower than your place. I'm growing some out here in San Diego (where there is no winter to speak of) along with a Muller Oak (Quercus cornelius-mulleri) and so far so good (fingers crossed)...

I have property in Colorado but live in Ohio.. When I make my last payment on my Colorado property im taking a trip out there to collect some pinyons on my own land. I wasn't interested in bonsai when I bought the property so I've been scouring my videos too see if I happen to get a glimpse just in passing something interesting. I noticed a few that had potential.

I've been lusting after oak trees as of late.. I always have my eye on some species that I haven't worked with yet. I'm looking for the deciduous kinda oak tree tho but ive taken a little peek at the evergreen types and definitely would not turn one down. Found one that already been trunk chopped by a bonsai buddy of mine.. didn't do I good job unfortunately tho hasn't back budded yet the top was dead already before the chop and the one live branch was supposed to start a new trunk line..

 

[PaganStag]

I've searched everywhere online looking for a good example of a pinyon bonsai, and found one that was ok but nothing that made me say "wow!" The very first tree I got when I started my interest in bonsai over 6 years ago was a pinyon that a friend dug for me in New Mexico. It sure has been slow growing, but even with a mere 1/2" diameter trunk and many many years from being anything worth looking at , its still my favorite. It has lasted through what many other trees have not.

Imo pinyon bonsai should mimic old gnarly natural examples you see in nature. Lots of twists and turns as if they experienced landslides and still grew. Lots of old twisted deadwood maybe only a few pads of growing limbs like they are barely clinging to life. I live in Colorado and the old ones I see in nature here above 9000 feet grow this way. There is beauty in hardship with these trees. I previously had a Yamadori pinyon that I collected lasted a few years until my greenhouse roof collapsed due to snow and wind and broke the tree in half died shortly after.