It is well known how vigorous growers JBP are but I have found our natives to be grow nearly as strong. Here is a picture of one of my 2 year and pitch pine seedlings.
Is that a male cone I see at about the 4" mark? If so, we should hook up your 2 yr old male tree with my 3 yr old female, which has put out its first cone, lol!
As far as bonsai is concerned vigor is not the most important factor. It is significant in the cultivational aspects of the tree but six inch needles do not for a good bonsai make.
I believe it is actually the start of another candle. Pitch pine are a little weird in that they will throw a bud just about anywhere. I will see what develops this season.
As far as bonsai is concerned vigor is not the most important factor. It is significant in the cultivational aspects of the tree but six inch needles do not for a good bonsai make.
The nice thing about pitch pine is that they are a two flush pine. They can be decandled just like a black pine. I don't have any mature pitch pines so I'm not sure the extent at which the needles reduce but they will reduce. Most of the pitch pine bonsai I have seen have been collected trees that are on the somewhat large end of the scale. They had needles in the 2" range.