Bristlecone Pine Exposed Root

[kinon_]

Hello all,

I've got what I remember to be a bristlecone pine I've been training for the last couple of years. Pretty sure it's not an aristata - I've haven't seen resin flecks coming off the leaves. So most likely a longaeva.

It was originally a pretty straight 2 gallon nursery stock that I've been slowing bending. Unfortunately I didn't take any old pictures. I hope to develop it into an exposed root style shohin, but I've still got the roots covered while I still grow it out.

It's currently planted in a root pouch bag in a mix of perlite, peat and pine bark. Plan is to just feed it hard this year, cut back new growth when hardened during the summer, and hope for some back buds.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Interesting contortions. Personally question if this is Bristlecone. Any picture of buds, decent sized candle before needles begin extension?

 

[kinon_]

Honestly I still question if it's a bristlecone myself. So far I'm convinced due to the short needle length, how long the needles stay on the pine (more than 3 years, but I've been cutting them off to a stub to help with wiring - I'm experimenting with this in regards to back budding) and how straight the needles are in general when compared to the other five needle pines offered at local nurseries in my area. If it's not a bristlecone, my guess it's most likely a limber pine but it really doesn't look or behave like my limbers.

Buds were starting to push about three weeks ago and I wanted to do a repot. We get late frosts here so it got a head start inside therefore the needles are already extending. I think due to the repot, the candles thing year are super short. Here's a picture of how the buds look now.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Your area also "maybe possibility" of Whitebark pine? Seems healthy but has so little growth. May be weakening from lack of foliage mass/solar panels. Shape/color of mature buds might be diagnostic but might not be seen until next Spring. Suggest to fertilize well and allow to gather strength.

 

[MaciekA]

I grow bristlecone, have spent a bit of time looking at whitebark in Central Oregon, have worked with limber pine (and there are a bunch of limber pine in my neighborhood). I also grow or have grown other five-needle species: Japanese white pine, korean pine, western white pine.

This tree looks fine to me given the history and the climate. If it's spring 2023 and I'm in zone 4 Alberta and not the Willamette Valley, I'm thrilled to be seeing emerging needles on a whitebark pine right now -- both our regions experienced a long cold spring this year and we're typically weeks ahead of Alberta in needle emergence, yet your pine is outpacing needle push on many of our pines here in Oregon. Stay the course.

I would take lots of pictures for a better ID over time, especially of buds, but personally I think this is limber pine. It's not that it couldn't be whitebark, but flexilis is more likely because it's common nursery stock. If a nursery is selling one of the rarest pines around, they're going to slap a big proud label on that thing. Limber in comparison is easier to find at nurseries and might be sold more generically in Alberta.

 

[kinon_]

I repotted the tree this year a bit to early so I had to give it a head start inside to protect it from frost - probably likely why the growth is so little and early. The rest of my pines are still budding out. I don't plan on touching it other than heavy fertilization for at least a year or two to let it regain energy.

White bark pine is native in my area but I haven't seen one at the nursery. I do have some white barks that I got from a seedling grower. Additionally, white bark pine needles are long and more twisted. I guess for now before I can get some pictures of the buds it most likely could be a limber pine. There is of course variation within a species, but to get an idea I have a picture of the tree with some other identified white pine seedlings for comparison.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Personal vote is for flexilis. Like your choice of trees.