Your favorite Northwest natives

[jferrier]

Being relatively new to the NW area, I was wondering what kind of conifer species people here have had good success working with? I've found lots of info on ponderosas and larches, a fair amount on p. contorta and hemlocks, a little on douglas firs,pacific yew, and red cedar, and almost nothing on true firs.

 

[dick benbow]

englemann spruce is also popular here in the NW with lots of info available. It is one of michael hagedorn's favorite subjects. You also didn't mention the alpine firs, more thought of in terms of landscaping but they make wonderful bonsai. Red cedar and yellow are quite difficult to collect
an abundance of information on. Interesting that the east coast is all over white cedar. Ryan Neil has just started workshops at his dojo for firs, which may be worth your while to sign up for. I have a semi-cascade douglas fir that I've worked on for the past two years since collection. I don't see many of them, but have found mine easy to work with. Hemlock, has been more of a disappointment in my experience, just deciding in days that it goes from looking hale and hearty to it's death bed. Atleast most of the others tip you off they're unhappy so you can make some adjustments. While I appreciate both native and japanese trees for use as bonsai, I find myself drifting toward more of a focus on native trees.

Hope there's something in the ramble, you can use

 

[jferrier]

englemann spruce is also popular here in the NW with lots of info available. It is one of michael hagedorn's favorite subjects. You also didn't mention the alpine firs, more thought of in terms of landscaping but they make wonderful bonsai. Red cedar and yellow are quite difficult to collect
an abundance of information on. Interesting that the east coast is all over white cedar. Ryan Neil has just started workshops at his dojo for firs, which may be worth your while to sign up for. I have a semi-cascade douglas fir that I've worked on for the past two years since collection. I don't see many of them, but have found mine easy to work with. Hemlock, has been more of a disappointment in my experience, just deciding in days that it goes from looking hale and hearty to it's death bed. Atleast most of the others tip you off they're unhappy so you can make some adjustments. While I appreciate both native and japanese trees for use as bonsai, I find myself drifting toward more of a focus on native trees.

Hope there's something in the ramble, you can use

Yeah, thanks. I'd read Douglas firs didn't make the best bonsai and I've only seen one that was pretty nice, but they grow around here like weeds so it's easy enough to try I suppose. I'll have to look into an Englemann spruce then. I rescued a couple of Noble firs from a burn pile at a Christmas tree farm intending on using them for landscape, but maybe I'll see what can be made of them. What about western white pine (Pinus monticola)? Seen any of these as bonsai? They remind me a bit of Japanese White pine.

 

[Dan W.]

There are also several people up there using limber pine (p. flexilis). Ryan Neil and Scott Elser both have some very nice ones from what I've seen.

 

[ghues]

Being relatively new to the NW area, I was wondering what kind of conifer species people here have had good success working with? I've found lots of info on ponderosas and larches, a fair amount on p. contorta and hemlocks, a little on douglas firs,pacific yew, and red cedar, and almost nothing on true firs.

Hello,
If you are looking for some examples of true firs search for posts by grouper52.
You have a number of bonsai clubs in Wash. state are there any close to you that you could join?
Western White Pine is susceptible to the white pine blister rust, which has a secondary host ribes species (currants) which we have a lot of in the PNW.
Another deciduous species to consider is vine maple.
Cheers Graham

 

[jferrier]

There are also several people up there using limber pine (p. flexilis). Ryan Neil and Scott Elser both have some very nice ones from what I've seen.

I don't believe I have that species near where I'm at, but I'll see what I can find out. Thanks.