Western North Carolina Pines

Hyn Patty

Shohin
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The parkway is National Park Service so forget collecting permits up there.

Everybody seems too think I want to collect from the parkway but I haven’t said it once. Only that our cabin is near it. I think we own plenty of land right here to keep me busy enough and we are close to the parkway without being on it.
 
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Hyn Patty

Shohin
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Make sure to introduce yourself tomorrow and we’ll meet up. We are doing companion plants and selecting trees for our display at the Botanical Garden next weekend.

I went to the Arboretum today and took many photos of the collection there. I will definitely stop by and watch the kusamono workshop and attend the meeting after. I am looking forward to meeting everyone and seeing your trees as I may not be able to attend the show next weekend. I don’t know yet if I will be up here or in Atlanta yet. Still doing the moving.
 

mcpesq817

Omono
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A conifer I've always thought would work well for bonsai is Table Mountain Pine, or Hickory Pine--Pinus Pungens. It's similar to Pitch Pine and lives along the Blue Ridge in Va. and N.C. usually in rocky outcrops at higher elevations--which tends to put it in places, like the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive, that aren't easy to collect in.

https://www.summitpost.org/table-mountain-pine/518240
http://conifersociety.org/conifers/conifer/pinus/pungens/

I grew up with this one--at Ravens Roost overlook on the Parkway in Va. The overlook was a favorite hangout while skipping school. It's been a fixture at that overlook for 50 years or so. The scars at the bottom of the trunk are from rock climbers' ropes--it's a 150 foot drop into the woods on the other side.

View attachment 191567
Love seeing these pines driving through Shenandoah.
 

Hyn Patty

Shohin
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I haven’t been up on our ridge line yet to see what is up there. Rocky.
 

Jcmmaple

Chumono
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Meant to see if you were there at the arboretum when we were there but it was a blast and so many great trees. Met some nice people from blue ridge bonsai society and hopefully I will get time to attend a few meetings. I need all the learning I can get. Had my eye on a pine a few weeks now, but I have to figure out who’s land it is on and ask for permission. And hopefully it will not be a hard dig.
 

Hyn Patty

Shohin
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I was there! I was wearing a purple shirt and a black biker cap with a skull on it, with my long dark pony tail! I had a good time too and took many photos of the exhibit trees. Very nice collection. I also spoke with Peggy Snow, the BRBS President. Today I followed up and went to the Blue Ridge Bonsai Society meeting where they did a kusamono workshop that Bob also did. We had a good time and I will be sending photos they will put on the website shortly.
 

Hyn Patty

Shohin
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I can start a thread and post the photos on Bonsainut as well but it might take me a few days to edit the images. I tend to shoot huge RAW files so I need to resize them smaller.
 

augustine

Chumono
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VA pine, also called scrub pine, is very good in its ability to back bud profusely. Problem is finding a good one, here in Central MD they are just spindly trunks. They need time, growth and cut backs, repeatedly.

But maybe you can find a good trunk in your area? Worth a look.
 

augustine

Chumono
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... or maybe if you find one in an accessible area with decent trunk and growth low on the trunk - you could start reducing while it's still in ground? If this were the case you should also take shovel and cut around the roots to prepare for lifting? (in the Spring) A 2 or 3 inch trunk with developed bark could make a nice tree.

However the inherent problem is that if you find something with a 2 or 3 inch trunk it won't have low branching.

I'm ground growing one with an unusual history. One of our senior club members found a VA pine with very small needles and took scions which were then grafted to J. black pine. He grew these, planted their seeds and distributed seedlings to the group. I've been growing in the ground and cutting back for 5 or 6 years. Very slow to trunk up it now has about a 1 inch trunk. I'll keep going and see what develops. However one great attribute is the many low branches which are used as sacrifices and choice of many new trunk lines. We'll see. Good luck.
 

Hyn Patty

Shohin
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I appreciate the information, thank you Augustine. I will keep an eye out. There are a lot of Virginia Pine here on the higher half of our property. So I can tag possible candidates to prep until lifting. I don’t need to be in a hurry to lift them. We intend to live here until we grow old and die and I’m not yet 50 so I still have some time to work with yet. ;)
 

Hyn Patty

Shohin
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I was just offered access to another 750 acres to hike and collect from. Whoo! I will get that in writing to be safe.
 

lucany

Seedling
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I have already located half a dozen nice small hemlocks with interesting trunks. You are right that they are everywhere around here. The ones hanging for dear life out of banks and steep slopes are plentiful and very twisty. I will have to look up what is the best time of year for collecting any.
Hemlocks and Frasier Firs are not allowed for collection...even if you hold a Rangers' permit those are off limit...they are all endangered species
 
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