White Bark Pine

[dick benbow]

I became fascinated with this american 5-needle. One, not much is mentioned about them for bonsai use. Two they're usually the last living thing at the top of the mountains. I have a dozen of them now. Started from seed gathered from crater lake in oregon, and started 20 years ago.
I found them growing in a small bonsai nursery in washington state. About a foot tall and trunk diameter of no more than one inch. The part of the yard they were growing in was over run with blackberry brambles and i had to get down on my hands and knees to see what was there. Lots of yellow needles and brown, those healthy were quite green.
Talking with the owner I found out what they were and how they came to be. It was at a time when a prominent japanese bonsai master was touring and his advice of getting into native trees resonated with me. So I dug and brought half a dozen home. I used a commercial fertilzer with micro elements in it and watched them prosper and the needles turn blue there second year under my care. Encouraged by the results, I unabashidly dug 6 more this spring and potted them up. looks like they gonna make it.
The one pictured here is from my first year. I grabbed any pot about the right size with no regard for use with pines. I gave it a little wiring this spring.
The other native white pine is the limber pine. I have two that were yamadori dug, and really enjoy them. there was a time the only blue I got was from my atlas cedar.
I'd be curious to hear from anyone who is familar with this species, who has used it as bonsai.

 

[bonsai barry]

I love seeing White Bark pine in the wild. They are a majetic tree. However, they seem to almost always be upright, I can't recall seeing a stunted one (like you might see in a juniper at the same elevation.

I think it would be a great tree, especially if the bark matured well. I doubt that they would survive at my home along the coast. What elevation do you live?

 

[dick benbow]

I'm at 70 feet here in Auburn.

My limber pine ( the other native 5 needle) have a white bark but don't know their age because of yamadori dug. Was wondering when the white bark turns white. as you can tell the bark on it and the others are dark grey,from the attached photo. The vast majority of the one's I have are pretty straight and tall but i have several that have potential.

 

[ghues]

Hi Dick,
Love to hear others using native species....
Up here above the 49th there is a growing concern about the increasing evidence of white pine blister rust attacking White Bark pines, as it isn't a commercial species there isn't much interest in its demise. good luck with yours.
G

 

[Dan W.]

They are doing studies on our limber pines here in WY because, so far, they have been immune to the blister rust.

I have been collecting some good limber pines, but I don't think we have any whitebark around here. I'd love to see some nice ones though!

 

[JudyB]

Do you have any pics of them in the wild Dick? I have probably seen them but didn't know what they were. Sounds really interesting.

 

[bonsai barry]

Do you have any pics of them in the wild Dick? I have probably seen them but didn't know what they were. Sounds really interesting.

Judy, here are some examples of the tree growing in the wild. Sorry, no close ups.

 

[bonsai barry]

I'm at 70 feet here in Auburn.

My limber pine ( the other native 5 needle) have a white bark but don't know their age because of yamadori dug. Was wondering when the white bark turns white. as you can tell the bark on it and the others are dark grey,from the attached photo. The vast majority of the one's I have are pretty straight and tall but i have several that have potential.

I'm not sure that I've seen truly white bark, I recall it as being silver gray (I'll check it our more carefully this summer when I'm in the area).

One adaptive characteristic of the tree is that it has very supple branches which allow it to survive a heavy snow load without breaking as many branches. I'm wondering if the flexible branches would stay in place after being wired.