Cool lil pine I found today

[benw3790]

First of all, can anyone ID this pine? They're native to my area, and they're everywhere. Western side of NC. But I was at work today and there were pines all over the job site growing in sandstone and I bout stepped on this little guy. After lookin it over, I couldn't help but to collect it. It's already really really compact and ramified from nature and it's got a thick little curvy trunk. (I see shohin/mame pines like this on the Internet and at bonsai nurseries all the time.) Just wanted to share cause I thought it was cool. It was just right there, I almost stepped on it and couldn't believe how ramified and compact it was. Now for the bad news... It mostly only has tap roots. Only one of the tap roots has feeder roots on it and, all of the tap roots were cut during the collection. They must have spread out a pretty long ways under the ground. I have no experience with pines what-so-ever and it's the wrong time of year for collextion, I know. But who has suggestions on what I should do to try to keep it alive right now?? Garage? Full shade? Sun? It's potted in 30% potting soil and 70% bonsai mix. (All I had left of the year and just mixed it so I'd have enough to fill the pot) anyways, any input would be cool. This is alrigh shohin material right? Sry for the sideway pics. The only way I can upload them is to use my phone and it uploads them sideways in the manage attachments part for some reason..

 

[dick benbow]

nice find...

When it comes to protecting the roots of your collected treasure, you want to keep it from freezing, where the roots can be damaged. usually around 27 F and below.
With anything evergreen, light is important. not so with deciduous for short periods. So find a sheltered window to put it next to. Don't forget with extended periods of cold, don't protect it from low temps and forget to water.
Not knowledgeable about pines in your neck of the woods, so hopefully someone else can chime in....

 

[dick benbow]

Be patient and allow it to establish next year, ie don't mess with it the first year. make it happy ...No over watering or fertilizing!

 

[benw3790]

Thanks for the input guys! I don't plan on even touching it for at least a year. I hope the tap roots will shoot some fiborous roots out. I am going to be keeping it in the garage at night and then outside during the day. I can't keep it in all day tho because it wouldn't get any light. No window to set it near or anything. But its supposed to be 70 degrees here Saturday! Think I !might go back to the location and try to find some more. I'll be better prepared this time

 

[clic8991]

I would guess loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). How many needles per bundle? Cool Tree. If its loblolly I have heard and seen needle length being a problem for creating a small tree.

 

[Stan Kengai]

If I had to guess a species, I'd say pinus virginiana (scrub pine). We have them around here that develop that almost witch's broom look when cut, but I have never seen one with a nice trunk like yours. Can't help you much more than that. Good luck with it.

 

[Dav4]

If I had to guess a species, I'd say pinus virginiana (scrub pine). QUOTE]

My guess as well.

 

[Vance Wood]

If I had to guess a species, I'd say pinus virginiana (scrub pine). We have them around here that develop that almost witch's broom look when cut, but I have never seen one with a nice trunk like yours. Can't help you much more than that. Good luck with it.

Agreed, it's probably Virginia Scrub Pine. They make nice bonsai. Tom Simone has a nice collected one.

 

[sikadelic]

The native pine here in Eastern SC have extremely long needles. Do the natives in your area have them too? I have looked at collecting pine here but I figured the needle length would be too much to overcome.

 

[Eric Group]

The native pine here in Eastern SC have extremely long needles. Do the natives in your area have them too? I have looked at collecting pine here but I figured the needle length would be too much to overcome.

Hey, looky there- another sand lappet on this site! My parents live out on Lady's Island!

Yeah the pines youa reprobably referring to are good old "Lob Lolly" most likely. I have never heard of not see a ny sort of successful bonsai created from one. The needles can be over a foot long in some cases, the growth is rapid and coats and probably wouldn't work out well.

We do have a few shorter needle varieties in the up state, but along the coast you would be better suited trying to collect something like the Red Cedars (Juniperus Virginia) or maybe even a live Oak or two...

I think most species of Pine will grow fine here but Needle cast seems to be a real problem for some people with Black Pine.

 

[benw3790]

hey, just an update, i am pretty sure you guys are right about being a scrub pine.. thats what the guys i work with were calling all the pines that were out there. but i just havent ever heard that term before. i know we have a lot of virginia pines out here.

 

[Vance Wood]

hey, just an update, i am pretty sure you guys are right about being a scrub pine.. thats what the guys i work with were calling all the pines that were out there. but i just havent ever heard that term before. i know we have a lot of virginia pines out here.

Scrub Pine Virginia Pine; all the same thing. It is for that reason we sometimes call these things by their botanical names, there is the tendency we will all agree on that. Now that I have said that I do not remember the botanical.

 

[Dav4]

Scrub Pine Virginia Pine; all the same thing. It is for that reason we sometimes call these things by their botanical names, there is the tendency we will all agree on that. Now that I have said that I do not remember the botanical.

Pinus virginiana

 

[benw3790]

Scrub Pine Virginia Pine; all the same thing. It is for that reason we sometimes call these things by their botanical names, there is the tendency we will all agree on that. Now that I have said that I do not remember the botanical.

Haha, well seeing as youre the 'go to guy' for pines, do you know much apout this species? Or how to train them? I know nothing of pines, as far as bonsai goes, but surely people don't just walk right over material like this everyday? It's nothing amazing but I think it could make a really nice Mame size bonsai one day. Its really ramified and compact but some needles are really really long. Only a few. I feel like it of survives, it could be pruned and wired in a couple years and start to look really nice. The only information out there about pines are for JWP, JBP, JRP, mughos and ponderosa.

 

[clic8991]

Its really ramified and compact but some needles are really really long. Only a few. I feel like it of survives, it could be pruned and wired in a couple years and start to look really nice.

Im pretty sure everyone is right that it is Scrub/Virginia Pine and geographically that seems right, but I believe scrub pine typically have a shorter (1"-3") max needle length than loblolly (4"-9"). The long twisted needles on some of the growth is why I thought it could be loblolly. Loblolly usually have three needles per bundle, scrub pine usually have two, though they can also be twisted. I am not an expert, but I would count the number of needles that come out of each bundle to help confirm that it is a scrub, its also a good way to learn a bit about pines.

 

[Vance Wood]

Im pretty sure everyone is right that it is Scrub/Virginia Pine and geographically that seems right, but I believe scrub pine typically have a shorter (1"-3") max needle length than loblolly (4"-9"). The long twisted needles on some of the growth is why I thought it could be loblolly. Loblolly usually have three needles per bundle, scrub pine usually have two, though they can also be twisted. I am not an expert, but I would count the number of needles that come out of each bundle to help confirm that it is a scrub, its also a good way to learn a bit about pines.

Sometimes with trees like the Mugo Pine; two needle Pines will do strange things. If they are cut back hard or caused to have to grow from the occurrence of a bundle of needles, as opposed to a visible bud, the first thing you may see, as the dormant bud springs to life, is the elongation of the associated needles with that bud. You can see that at the base of this tree. Most of the growth on this tree is because the entire tree has at one point, recently, been totally ravaged. This has forced it to produce an abundance of new growth from latent or dormant buds. From what I can see most of the new growth at this point is lacking needles in clusters.

 

[benw3790]

Sometimes with trees like the Mugo Pine; two needle Pines will do strange things. If they are cut back hard or caused to have to grow from the occurrence of a bundle of needles, as opposed to a visible bud, the first thing you may see, as the dormant bud springs to life, is the elongation of the associated needles with that bud. You can see that at the base of this tree. Most of the growth on this tree is because the entire tree has at one point, recently, been totally ravaged. This has forced it to produce an abundance of new growth from latent or dormant buds. From what I can see most of the new growth at this point is lacking needles in clusters.

I'll try to get some better close up pictures of the foliage and count the needles I'll post another update in a bit if you guys don't mind or would like to take another better look.

 

[Vance Wood]

I'll try to get some better close up pictures of the foliage and count the needles I'll post another update in a bit if you guys don't mind or would like to take another better look.

Still no photo updates?

 

[sikadelic]

Hey, looky there- another sand lappet on this site! My parents live out on Lady's Island!

Yeah the pines youa reprobably referring to are good old "Lob Lolly" most likely. I have never heard of not see a ny sort of successful bonsai created from one. The needles can be over a foot long in some cases, the growth is rapid and coats and probably wouldn't work out well.

We do have a few shorter needle varieties in the up state, but along the coast you would be better suited trying to collect something like the Red Cedars (Juniperus Virginia) or maybe even a live Oak or two...

I think most species of Pine will grow fine here but Needle cast seems to be a real problem for some people with Black Pine.

Nice to see a local! I'm set to leave this time next year so im trying to take advantage of the great growing seasons while I can.

You confirmed my suspicions about the local pine. It appears to be junk as far as bonsai is concerned. I do plan to collect a few red cedar this year. Last year I tried but removed too much of the root mass. The Live Oak are beautiful and I am in the process of propagating 8 from acorns.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Vance Wood]

Nice to see a local! I'm set to leave this time next year so im trying to take advantage of the great growing seasons while I can.

You confirmed my suspicions about the local pine. It appears to be junk as far as bonsai is concerned. I do plan to collect a few red cedar this year. Last year I tried but removed too much of the root mass. The Live Oak are beautiful and I am in the process of propagating 8 from acorns.

Thanks for the info!

The Pine is not Junk. The fact is most Pines at this point in time look like Junk. Keep the tree and once you gain a bit of experience you will be glad you did. You want to talk about potential junk? Try Red Cedar.