Probably a windswept spruce.

[wireme]

Collected this one just last year but it recovered well. I’ve been looking at it, usually from this side cause the trunk is visible.

Had all sorts of ideas of course, trunk reduction possibilities, etc.
One day looking from the side I realized there was a windswept pretty much built in. Had the thought that maybe I could even get there by pruning only, no wire. So pruned away. Made myself stop there I like to bring trees just far enough that it easier to envision the vision before going into detail. Probably sit on it until next year now. I don’t think I’ll change my mind, I think windswept will do. Really, really doubt I will stick to the no wire just pruning idea though.

 

[Tycoss]

Very nice. I think it will take a fair bit of wire and a new pot or slab to be convincing, but I love where you’r going with this.

 

[Adair M]

Here is a red spruce for inspiration:



This particular tree is at the bottom of the hiking trail at the parking lot of Brasstown Bald, the highest mountain in Georgia. The trail takes you to the top of the mountain where this red spruce stands:



Interestingly, the tree at the top is less weather beaten than the one lower down. I suspect the lack of trees (due to the open parking lot) has subjected the one lower down to more wind. Or, at least damaging wind.

I will say, the last time I visited this tree, it looked much worse for wear. The upper tree. It appears to have recovered.

I am going to try to replicate the look of the tree on top of the mountain with this tree:

 

[Tycoss]

Here is a red spruce for inspiration:

View attachment 205465

This particular tree is at the bottom of the hiking trail at the parking lot of Brasstown Bald, the highest mountain in Georgia. The trail takes you to the top of the mountain Th where this red spruce stand

View attachment 205466

Interestingly, the tree at the top is less weather beaten than the one lower down. I suspect the lack of trees (due to the open parking lot) has subjected the one lower down to more wind. Or, at least damaging wind.

I will say, the last time I visited this tree, it looked much worse for wear. The upper tree. It appears to have recovered.

I am going to try to replicate the look of the tree on top of the mountain with this tree:

View attachment 205468

That’s great. I really like what you do with pines. I’ll be interested to see where you take this one, as I have a somewhat similar tree.

 

[wireme]

Very nice. I think it will take a fair bit of wire and a new pot or slab to be convincing, but I love where you’r going with this.

Thanks. I still think just a bit of wire here and there maybe I can get away with some scruffiness with this one. We’ll see I feel like it’s appropriate use of the material anyways, don’t have to force anything into it.

I did wire a twig into the windy side close to the trunk up high after looking again. Took another pic, played with it a bit..

 

[Tycoss]

Thanks. I still think just a bit of wire here and there maybe I can get away with some scruffiness with this one. We’ll see I feel like it’s appropriate use of the material anyways, don’t have to force anything into it.

I did wire a twig into the windy side close to the trunk up high after looking again. Took another pic, played with it a bit.. View attachment 205472View attachment 205473View attachment 205474

That could be really convincing with time

 

[eb84327]

Here is a red spruce for inspiration:

View attachment 205465

This particular tree is at the bottom of the hiking trail at the parking lot of Brasstown Bald, the highest mountain in Georgia. The trail takes you to the top of the mountain where this red spruce stands:

View attachment 205466

Interestingly, the tree at the top is less weather beaten than the one lower down. I suspect the lack of trees (due to the open parking lot) has subjected the one lower down to more wind. Or, at least damaging wind.

I will say, the last time I visited this tree, it looked much worse for wear. The upper tree. It appears to have recovered.

I am going to try to replicate the look of the tree on top of the mountain with this tree:

View attachment 205468

Whoa wait a second. They have mountains in georgia? You sure those aren't just hills? ? Seriously though it looks good I see what your going for.

 

[wireme]

Here is a red spruce for inspiration:

View attachment 205465

This particular tree is at the bottom of the hiking trail at the parking lot of Brasstown Bald, the highest mountain in Georgia. The trail takes you to the top of the mountain where this red spruce stands:

View attachment 205466

Interestingly, the tree at the top is less weather beaten than the one lower down. I suspect the lack of trees (due to the open parking lot) has subjected the one lower down to more wind. Or, at least damaging wind.

I will say, the last time I visited this tree, it looked much worse for wear. The upper tree. It appears to have recovered.

I am going to try to replicate the look of the tree on top of the mountain with this tree:

View attachment 205468

Nice, can we say you’re going naturalistic with that one? Cool.

There’s a highway over a windy mountain pass near where Tycoss lives that is just awesome for windswept inspiration. I’d like to go someday just to take a bunch of photos to refer to. I’ve driven over it many times though, between wind blowing the vehicle around and rubbernecking trees it’s hard to keep’er between the lines!

Some thing that has struck me
About the trees there is that although the wind is strong and consistent enough to put a good lean into the trees they are not necessarily bare of branches on the upwind side unlike many windswept bonsai designs. Just shorter branches upwind and longer downwind. A little higher elevation by hiking around there and there’s a ton of much more extreme windswept too where upwind branches don’t stand a chance.

I grabbed some google images of the place to show what I mean.

 

[Cosmos]

View attachment 205457

 

[wireme]

Repotted two or three weeks ago.

Did as much rootwork as seemed appropriate and found that it almost fit into this available pot. Made it fit without anymore rootwork. Bit of a ridiculous stuff. Truthfully it would have been better/safer to build an interm box and develop the rootage better first but it did save me from building a box, if it works out int the end it works out either way.
I still feel like pursuing something like the black and white virts from earlier in the thread, mostly through pruning, try to use wire as little as possible.

The tree has been acclimating to the repot in my mushroom mist house . It needs some surface mossing to be out on a bench, that’s on the list today .

 

[wireme]

Here is a red spruce for inspiration:

View attachment 205465

This particular tree is at the bottom of the hiking trail at the parking lot of Brasstown Bald, the highest mountain in Georgia. The trail takes you to the top of the mountain where this red spruce stands:

View attachment 205466

Interestingly, the tree at the top is less weather beaten than the one lower down. I suspect the lack of trees (due to the open parking lot) has subjected the one lower down to more wind. Or, at least damaging wind.

I will say, the last time I visited this tree, it looked much worse for wear. The upper tree. It appears to have recovered.

I am going to try to replicate the look of the tree on top of the mountain with this tree:

View attachment 205468

Yours doing well?

 

[sorce]

Is that pic current or 2 3 weeks old?

I'm BSing but....you should put it in a pot that reads..."uck off", or uck you", or nicer, "un Day!", Or "abulous". "ucking Windswept"?

Sorce

 

[ghues]

Looking good and healthy.

 

[wireme]

Is that pic current or 2 3 weeks old?

I'm BSing but....you should put it in a pot that reads..."uck off", or uck you", or nicer, "un Day!", Or "abulous". "ucking Windswept"?

Sorce

Today’s pic, I think buds were just a bit swollen when it was coerced into the pot.

I’ll write ART on the pot.

 

[wireme]

Looking good and healthy.

So far so good. The repot was a bit rougher than others, lots of extra root from the all the shrubbery to rip out/de tangle. Huckleberry roots look a lot like spruce roots as it turns out.

 

[wireme]

Is that pic current or 2 3 weeks old?

I'm BSing but....you should put it in a pot that reads..."uck off", or uck you", or nicer, "un Day!", Or "abulous". "ucking Windswept"?

Sorce

 

[sorce]

Classic!

Sorce

 

[Arcto]

Maybe raise the branches on the leeward side. Tree is leaning which has the branches lowered a bit. Here is an example of a Doug Fir on an exposed hill in the OR coastal foothills in the way of every winter storm that comes blasting through. Not a super old tree so the upturned branches are more apparent. An older tree’s branches would be more level with less of them like what you did with yours. Another super healthy Wireme Spruce. You have a way with the spruces.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Great pot.