Yamadori scouting: what did I find?!

[Atom#28]

Got permission to scout and take any trees I want on 3 wooded acres. The ground is quite sloped, thick with old pine needles, and the soil is very rocky. Nobody goes in there. As a result, it’s a hidden gem....maybe? I went looking for stunted old ponderosa pines, but I glanced some deciduous trees with squatty lil trunks.

Anyways, I don’t know what they are. The serrated leaves make me think “elm”. Maybe y’all can help me ID these. Also tell me if you think any of them worth digging in your opinion (remembering they’re free!)

I really like this one:

Back side is cool too
Fatty trunk
Bad angle, but this is a chunky lil monkey:
Elm leaves???

And what is this tree?

 

[Mike Westervelt]

Looks like Siberian Elm, they can make great bonsai.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Straight boring trunks. Save energy for more interesting trees. Last pics are of familiar shrub but do not know name. These will take much time to develop any trunk size. Keep looking and enjoying outdoors.

 

[Atom#28]

Straight boring trunks. Save energy for more interesting trees. Last pics are of familiar shrub but do not know name. These will take much time to develop any trunk size. Keep looking and enjoying outdoors.

Thank you. I agree. I'm mostly looking for chubby bases with low branches that I can chop and grow. There are many, many more that I will inspect before the digging begins!

 

[misfit11]

First one is some kind of Elm. Second one is a Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.)
I honestly don't think those Elms would be a bad choice. They tend to be pretty tough and great for beginners. If you collect in spring and chop them somewhat low they should pop buds all over. Then you build movement into them.
The Serviceberry could be interesting. I don't think I've ever seen it as bonsai. They produce nice flowers and small fruits. Definitely in the scale of bonsai. Should work given they don't mind their roots being messed with.
Hope that helps.
Cory

 

[Atom#28]

First one is some kind of Elm. Second one is a Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.)
I honestly don't think those Elms would be a bad choice. They tend to be pretty tough and great for beginners. If you collect in spring and chop them somewhat low they should pop buds all over. Then you build movement into them.
The Serviceberry could be interesting. I don't think I've ever seen it as bonsai. They produce nice flowers and small fruits. Definitely in the scale of bonsai. Should work given they don't mind their roots being messed with.
Hope that helps.
Cory

Very helpful! Thank you

 

[Atom#28]

The Serviceberry could be interesting. I don't think I've ever seen it as bonsai. They produce nice flowers and small fruits. Definitely in the scale of bonsai. Should work given they don't mind their roots being messed with.

Found this article that should be helpful for this species:

Amelanchier also known as Service Berry, Juneberry and Saskatoon

a blog about the art of bonsai and trees in pots and associated plantings.

arborartscollective.blogspot.com

 

[Carol 83]

Found this article that should be helpful for this species:

Amelanchier also known as Service Berry, Juneberry and Saskatoon

a blog about the art of bonsai and trees in pots and associated plantings.

arborartscollective.blogspot.com

@Leo in N E Illinois wrote that, bet he could help.

 

[Atom#28]

another tree I found in my travels.

 

[bonsaichile]

another tree I found in my travels.


View attachment 258797

that's a young ponderosa

 

[Atom#28]

that's a young ponderosa

yep. 15-20 years old, maybe a bit older. This one is stunted, probably growing on top of a lot of rock. His peers with the same diameter trunk are all 10 feet tall. I probably won't take it home...

 

[Tycoss]

yep. 15-20 years old, maybe a bit older. This one is stunted, probably growing on top of a lot of rock. His peers with the same diameter trunk are all 10 feet tall. I probably won't take it home...

I would! Nice movement and bark. FYI on the amalanchier, I have a couple, one really old one. I’ve only had it for a couple of years, but seems to be doing great in a pot.

 

[barrosinc]

yep. 15-20 years old, maybe a bit older. This one is stunted, probably growing on top of a lot of rock. His peers with the same diameter trunk are all 10 feet tall. I probably won't take it home...

I think it is the tree you should take home! hahaha

 

[Atom#28]

I think it is the tree you should take home! hahaha

Ok I will!

 

[Tycoss]

Just make sure you do some research on collecting pines before you do! It’d be a shame to kill it.

 

[Potawatomi13]

another tree I found in my travels.


View attachment 258797

Could be interesting but could get better tree with great bark very reasonably from Andy Smith "Golden Arrow Bonsai" from Burlap Bonanza tree sale in Spring. Three of these at my place,

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I think all of them are worth the trouble. The elm, because it will back bud low, and already has low branches will be good. The tall straight trunk with the ''shari'' or wound is not the part I would keep, I would chop it low so just the bottom few inches of the wound and shari remain, and then carve to make it look like a broken trunk. But you can always cut low later, start any size you want, and as you learn more about elms, you might, or might not use my idea.

The Amelanchier is the one I would be most excited about collecting. I have a couple, and they are good bonsai subjects. They don't trunk up very quickly at all, so turn this into a small tree, less than 8 or 10 inches. They back bud well, and the flowers are lovely. They do not grow as rapidly as an elm, so do allow them time to recover after working on them. I work then like an elm or other generic deciduous tree, one year, then I give mine a year off to just grow, then I work them hard again. If the tree responds well, you can work them every year, but plan on occasionally giving them more time to recover than you would give an elm. They are most like an apple (Malus species and hybrids) in terms of bonsai techniques.

I did write that article, those are my trees in the photos.

 

[Tycoss]

I have collected elms, pines and amelancher before. Amelancher and elms are much easier to collect, and both can be bare rooted. I might collect those in the coming year, and save the pine until you are more confident in your methods. Pines can’t be bare rooted or trunk chopped on collection like deciduous trees.