Shimpaku juniper seeds

[Alvarim]

Hi everybody,

I'm looking for a reliable vendor of Shimpaku Juniper Seeds (or a cheap seedling). I can't find it anywhere.

I'm in Canada, so I can't travel to US nurseries. Can anyone help me?

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Alvarim]

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

I can't understand why is so difficult. Anyway, I'm still looking.

 

[sorce]

I can't understand why is so difficult. Anyway, I'm still looking.

They're like a good weed, no one wants to make seeds! But seriously, I haven't had any reproductive things on mine, while everything else regularly has berries and pollen cones.

Could be possible they don't exist!

Cuttings.

Sorce

 

[Alvarim]

They're like a good weed, no one wants to make seeds! But seriously, I haven't had any reproductive things on mine, while everything else regularly has berries and pollen cones.

Could be possible they don't exist!

Cuttings.

Sorce

Maybe, but I didn't even get a cutting here. Generally, the gardens that have a value exceed CAD 100.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I did not dig to see if they have Shimpaku, but they are a good Canada based nursery with a wide range of species. many good for bonsai or kusamono.

Fraser's Thimble Farms - Rare and Native Plant Nursery

Thimble Farms is a mail order nursery that specializes in rare, unusual and native plants. Hardy Orchids, Cypripediums, Ferns,Perennial and More.

www.thimblefarms.com

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I just checked, they don't have shimpaku listed, they might have it at the nursery. But they do have interesting assortment of species.

 

[Robertji]

Try canadabonsai.com, he has some on his website

 

[DonovanC]

Best to track down some cuttings.

 

[DonovanC]

I think your best bet is to find a nice one and start some cuttings on your own next year. I’ve had high success rooting them. I’ve found them for under $25 easily.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

They're like a good weed, no one wants to make seeds! But seriously, I haven't had any reproductive things on mine, while everything else regularly has berries and pollen cones.

Could be possible they don't exist!

Cuttings.

Sorce

Speak for yourself ;-)
I've been breeding for 10 years now. Over 50 hybrids in my posession, all in seed form. The worst part is running out of seeds and not being able to backcross because everything ends up being female.

But yeah, to my knowledge shimpaku falls in the juniperus chinensis category and isn't labeled differently.
Shimpaku as a cultivar isn't really officially recognized as far as I know.
My best option for seeds would be to contact Japanese sellers from certain prefectures and hope they get them from the wild.

Never seen them flower either. Manual pollination could be done as a forum thingy, if people have males and females.

 

[DonovanC]

Yes, Shimpaku is Juniperus chinensis. But, I’ve understood it to be a “locality” - a variation of the species occurring only in a specific location, which in this case is Japan. I don’t think we would consider it to be a cultivar, for one because it isn’t necessarily an anomaly in nature like the many varieties of JM - it’s just the form that the species takes in a particular region in Japan. Secondly, there are two (at least two) cultivars of Shimpaku; Itoigawa and Kishu. Are there cultivars of cultivars? < actual question, not being facetious. I would assume no, any variation of a cultivar would just be considered a separate cultivar.
So Shimpaku is J. chinensis, but it’s not a cultivar, it’s a Locality. Therefore it naturally reproduces in nature. So based on that, there must be Shimpaku seeds...?
Binomial nomenclatures:
Juniperus chinensis ‘Shimpaku’
Juniperus chinensis ‘Shimpaku’ ‘Itoigawa’
Juniperus chinensis ‘Shimpaku’ ‘Kishu’

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yes, Shimpaku is Juniperus chinensis. But, I’ve understood it to be a “locality” - a variation of the species occurring only in a specific location, which in this case is Japan. I don’t think we would consider it to be a cultivar, for one because it isn’t necessarily an anomaly in nature like the many varieties of JM - it’s just the form that the species takes in a particular region in Japan. Secondly, there are two (at least two) cultivars of Shimpaku; Itoigawa and Kishu. Are there cultivars of cultivars? < actual question, not being facetious. I would assume no, any variation of a cultivar would just be considered a separate cultivar.
So Shimpaku is J. chinensis, but it’s not a cultivar, it’s a Locality. Therefore it naturally reproduces in nature. So based on that, there must be Shimpaku seeds...?
Binomial nomenclatures:
Juniperus chinensis ‘Shimpaku’
Juniperus chinensis ‘Shimpaku’ ‘Itoigawa’
Juniperus chinensis ‘Shimpaku’ ‘Kishu’

Kishu and Itoigawa refer to the areas where these variants were originally found. Technically they’re not cultivars, because each has a wide range of foliage characteristics. However, in bonsai we tend to treat them like cultivars...or at least with respect to provenance.

 

[Alvarim]

Best to track down some cuttings.

I'm trying, but because of COVID-19, the Bonsai Club is closed without prevision when they will return.

 

[Alvarim]

Kishu and Itoigawa refer to the areas where these variants were originally found. Technically they’re not cultivars, because each has a wide range of foliage characteristics. However, in bonsai we tend to treat them like cultivars...or at least with respect to provenance.

More on differences among Itoigawa, Kishu, and Shimpaku junipers

This is one topic that really intrigues me. Shimpaku has become a favorite bonsai subject, and as I work more with the different varieties, I’ll continue to share the subtle differences. From…

nebaribonsai.wordpress.com

 

[DonovanC]

Localities in loc

Kishu and Itoigawa refer to the areas where these variants were originally found. Technically they’re not cultivars, because each has a wide range of foliage characteristics. However, in bonsai we tend to treat them like cultivars...or at least with respect to provenance.

I see. I kind of started to assume they were localities and not cultivars. That makes sense. I’m always interested in taxonomy, so I always like to have the most official understanding of my trees.

 

[DonovanC]

I'm trying, but because of COVID-19, the Bonsai Club is closed without prevision when they will return.

Understood. Same here. The club here has an annual sale with tons of prebonsai. Definitely miss it.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

More on differences among Itoigawa, Kishu, and Shimpaku junipers

This is one topic that really intrigues me. Shimpaku has become a favorite bonsai subject, and as I work more with the different varieties, I’ll continue to share the subtle differences. From…

nebaribonsai.wordpress.com

Thanks, that’s my site.. Working on an update to include the Kiyozuro as well.
I was able to recreate an old WBFF article from their defunct website on the history of the Shimpaku juniper as well. That was years ago, and Bjorn recently made a video on the origin of Shimpaku which is really good. Has some of the same photos.