Landscape Mugo Yamadori

[Arcto]

We all want that mountain top wind and snow beaten 300 year old yamadori. But here I am looking a gift horse in the mouth. This one seems to be a very leggy Mugo (please correct me if I'm mistaken) planted in the wrong place years ago. It's gamely fighting a losing battle to get to the sun. So I'll be removing it. It's 95 here with bone dry soil, so I plan on digging it next spring.Its about 10' high and wide with a 3"+ trunk at the base. I can do a trunk chop now and hope that the entire root system pushes back budding in a shady location or do it with the dig next spring. Thoughts? Comments?

 

[barrosinc]

I dont think it is a mugo but I might be mistaken.
You will have to chase the growth back.

 

[Arcto]

The 2-3 needle pines I have here are Austrian, Bosnian, Lodgepole, Mugo, Ponderosa and Scotch. None of the others keyed out correctly. Unless an unknown species was planted, my best guess is that the shady location made this one a little unorthodox. Frankly, it wasn't fair of me to ask for a accurate ID based on a few crappy tablet photos.

 

[vaibatron]

I'd wAit for Vance to chime in but....

Looks nothing like mugo.

 

[0soyoung]

Looks like a lodgepole (p. contorta and probably p. contorta v. contorta or shore) pine to me.

BTW, you won't find mugo yamadori in North America - they and Scots pines (p. sylvestris) are native European species.

 

[Arcto]

You are right. I abused the word. I thought sticking the word "landscape" on the front of the thread would make it clear. It was planted by someone. I'm surrounded by lodgepole here. I compared them side to side and am confident it is not a lodgepole. I maybe risking a cyber beat down on this one, but it has some mugo characteristics. But I won't say I'm 100% sure.

 

[0soyoung]

I've owned and seen many mugos. They all were bushy spreading trees (shrubs?). I've never seen one with an upright growth habit like in your photo. Check Wikipedia and/or some dendrology web sites like VirginaTech's. The Gymnosperm DB may also be worth a look.

 

[Arcto]

Good sites. I'll check again at daylight. Thanks for the info.

 

[M. Frary]

Not a mugo,Scots or jack pine. 10 foot tall and they all would have mature bark.

 

[Arcto]

More pics of needles, buds, cones and bark. I'll keep my opinion to myself
.Needles left to right..Austrian, Scots, Lodgepole, 2 pairs of Mugo each from different tree, Mystery pine.
lodgepole

 

[Arcto]

Scots Mugo Mystery

 

[Arcto]

Bark on an 8' MugoMystery bark
Have fun with it if you want. Please remember my original question concerning chopping now or during spring time dig. We can probably safely assume it's a 2-3 needle single flush pine.

 

[Vance Wood]

I'm not certian. It is possibly a ferral tree, one that has been planted from seed by a squirrel or similar stashing rodent that has germinated and grown up into this tree. Having said that there are aspects of this tree that look more like Scots Pine than Mugo but there are aspects of this tree that look like something else. It is possible as a ferrel tree it is also a hybrid between a couple of trees. Mugos and Scots are cousins and are known to mingle DNA on occasion and produce hybrid trees.

 

[crust]

lodge pole

 

[Arcto]

Vance, there is stuff that has been here 30 years getting pollen blown all over not to mention the native lodgepole that are thick here. Crust, the lodge pole cones have spines, the mugos don't. But the cones are closer to a lodgepole size-wise. If it is a hybrid, maybe I'll name it Pinus whattheheckisitus.

 

[Arcto]

To add to the confusion (something I seem to have a talent for). The needles are quite flexable, not at all prickly like a Scots. Even though it is in a pretty shady location reaching for light. It has not lost it's lower branches like a Lodgepole or Scots. Finally, it shows no sign of dwarf mistletoe infection like the Lodgepoles, Scots and even Mugos although I'm confident it has been exposed to the parasite.

 

[PierreR]

Lodgepole, murrayana subspecies fits.

 

[Vance Wood]

It could be Lodge Pole. It has been a long time since I had my hands on one and they are not considered a commercially viable product so you seldom see them in nurseries in this part of the country.

 

[0soyoung]

my original question concerning chopping now or during spring time dig.

I repot pines, Douglas firs, tsugas, thujas, quinces, azaleas, and roses in the month-long window around the end of August / beginning of September. I also think this is a good time to dig. I prefer to keep all the new foliage I possibly can, as this will fuel the fastest root recovery. In other words, I suggest that you dig 2 - 6 weeks from now and that you only 'chop' only what is necessary to extract the tree, keeping all the new foliage you possibly can.

I suggest that you make preparations for a humidity tent as a contingency before you start digging, just in case you must remove most of the fine rootage to extract the tree.

 

[Arcto]

Thanks Osoyoung. When do you typically get your first hard freezes there. Anacortes..what a cool place!