Dwarf pin oak

[Fishtank307]

This is an interesting landscaping tree I picked up last year. It's a dwarf pin oak or Quercus palustris 'Isabelle'. When I bought it, it was around 1.7m high, with a fairly wide canopy. A couple of weeks ago, I cut it back, hoping to get it to backbud on older wood, which it did.
The plan is to cut it back in stages. I don't know the growth habbits of Pin oaks, so I'm a bit more careful with this one... Luckily, it has a couple of branches down low. The growth higher up the tree is very long and bare.


Starting to show some color at the end of September, last year. The fall color was amazing, with the leaves turning deep red and purple. Sadly, I don't have any picture of the fall colors, so I'll have to make sure to get some this fall!


Fairly small leaves on this dwarf cultivar.


Quirky little base below the graft.




Lots of uro on the branches.


Buds on the older branches that were cut in February.




Still needs to be cut down some more next year.


Does anyone have experience with growing pin oaks as bonsai?

 

[just.wing.it]

Nice taper....is that a grafted plant?
Never seen dwarf oak of any kind.

 

[coachspinks]

I had never heard of this tree so I did some reading. Here is a link I found that should give more information

Cultivar Close-Up: Mighty Miniatures

Dwarf cultivars can be ideal for a small garden. Here are three "mini oaks".

www.internationaloaksociety.org

It says that it was found, not grafted. Based on what I found on other sites, there are several cultivars that have been grown for smaller gardens in Europe.
It is a cool looking little tree!

 

[Fishtank307]

Nice taper....is that a grafted plant?
Never seen dwarf oak of any kind.

Yes, it's grafted. The understock is probably ordinary pin oak.

 

[Fishtank307]

I had never heard of this tree so I did some reading. Here is a link I found that should give more information

Cultivar Close-Up: Mighty Miniatures

Dwarf cultivars can be ideal for a small garden. Here are three "mini oaks".

www.internationaloaksociety.org

It says that it was found, not grafted. Based on what I found on other sites, there are several cultivars that have been grown for smaller gardens in Europe.
It is a cool looking little tree!

Thanks!
Many cultivars (= CULTIvated VARieties) are grown/created from plants with genetic abnormalities, either found in plants in nature or grown from seed. Often they are grafted onto 'ordinary' understock, because the original variety will have a better root system. Or simply because the new cultivar is difficult to grow from cuttings or airlayerings.
So a cultivar is often 'found' (by accident) and then cultivated via grafting. Branches that show desirable features are grafted onto ordinary stock. And if these 'new' plants differ enough from the regular strain, it may be classified as a cultivar.

 

[penumbra]

The graft is apparent but not really ugly. My concern would be that the graft will outgrow the scion. It looks like it is doing that now. If so, it will only get bigger. I have seen this on at least a dozen of my trees, mostly maples.
I do wish you the best, it is an awesome little tree.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Suggestion after harden off about June cut back both forks of trunk to bottom 2/3 branches on each. As mentioned before back budding then presents future branching possibilities. This will help eliminate straight trunks and branches presently apparent. Once base evolves and barks up good possibility for great Bonsai.
Also several natural dwarf or shrub Oak trees exist that are not cultivars. If desired can give some names.

 

[Fishtank307]

Suggestion after harden off about June cut back both forks of trunk to bottom 2/3 branches on each. As mentioned before back budding then presents future branching possibilities. This will help eliminate straight trunks and branches presently apparent. Once base evolves and barks up good possibility for great Bonsai.
Also several natural dwarf or shrub Oak trees exist that are not cultivars. If desired can give some names.

I don't think it's a good idea to hard prune when it's actively growing. The forking branches will be reduced at the end of next winter. I don't want to rush things. Also, it's in need of repotting, so I'll have to to that next spring as well! All in good time...

 

[Forsoothe!]

Suggestion after harden off about June cut back both forks of trunk to bottom 2/3 branches on each. As mentioned before back budding then presents future branching possibilities. This will help eliminate straight trunks and branches presently apparent. Once base evolves and barks up good possibility for great Bonsai.
Also several natural dwarf or shrub Oak trees exist that are not cultivars. If desired can give some names.

I'm listening...

 

[Potawatomi13]

I'm listening...

Forthcoming soon.

 

[Mikecheck123]

Nice taper....is that a grafted plant?
Never seen dwarf oak of any kind.

Here's a story about a guy just driving down the highway when he spotted a dwarf blue oak.

How a Calistoga landscaper got an oak tree species named after him

One day five years ago, a strange oak caught his eye.

www.pressdemocrat.com

 

[Potawatomi13]

I don't think it's a good idea to hard prune when it's actively growing. The forking branches will be reduced at the end of next winter. I don't want to rush things. Also, it's in need of repotting, so I'll have to to that next spring as well! All in good time...

Read please: After harden off. Not when actively growing.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Just found a Swamp Pygmy, inbound!

 

[Potawatomi13]

Dwarf Chinkapin Oak Q. prinoides, Dwarf live oak Q. minima, Bear Oak, Q,ilicifolia, Mullers Scrub oak Q, cornelius-mulleri, California Scrub Oak Q. berberidifolia, Inland Scrub Oak Q. pacifica, Oregon dwarf White Oak/Brewers Oak Q. garryanna breweri, Dwarf Golden Cup Oak/Huckleberry Oak Q. vaccinifolia, Deer Oak/Sadler Oak Q. sadleriana, Runner Oak Q. pumila, Boynton Oak Q. boyntonii, Chapman Oak Q. chapmanii. By no means a complete list but just a few US trees I could find fairly quickly.

 

[just.wing.it]

Here's a story about a guy just driving down the highway when he spotted a dwarf blue oak.

How a Calistoga landscaper got an oak tree species named after him

One day five years ago, a strange oak caught his eye.

www.pressdemocrat.com

That's awesome!

 

[Potawatomi13]

That's awesome!

Kind of cool for him however not really a species or subspecies as the sensationalist media says but just a sport.

 

[penumbra]

Its enough, and he who knows when enough is enough will always have enough.