EWP Pinus Strobus at fall after shedding needles

[vancehanna]

Here's a couple of photos of my EWP that hopefully will be accepted (again) next year in the NBF show in Rochester. I did not cut the candles (for a rest) this year after we found out that the show was canceled, so the top is a bit stronger and longer than it should be for a show. But if all goes well, next year I'll carefully cut ALL the candles per my normal regimen.
After more than 45+ years of working this girl, she needs a name. She came from Benzie County, MI near the National Park: Sleeping Bear Dunes.....maybe something indigenous to the folks who were first there?
I"m open to suggestions.

 

[vancehanna]

thanks, she's come a long way.....from being a snow plow chop about 40+ yrs ago....

 

[Mayank]

"The Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa were called the "three brothers" of the Algonquin family. As the Potawatomi migrated south, the Chippewa and Ottawa co-mingled peacefully in northern Michigan. They shared several hunting and fishing territories including the Sleeping Bear area." (nps.gov) The name of Michigan itself is derived from Ottawa "mishigami" meaning "large water".

Maybe your strobus can be named "Mishi" or maybe "Benz" or "Benzie"

 

[GreatLakesBrad]

Grand Rapids, Michigan here. Yes indeed, EWP are native. It is our state tree. I'm about 2.5 hours from Sleeping Bear and am there often. I can envision this tree on the slopes being influenced by the winds off "the big lake" (Lake Michigan).

Fantastic tree, thanks so much for sharing - don't see many of these as bonsai with those big needles! Wow. @Leo in N E Illinois - imagine you will enjoy this one!

 

[vancehanna]

"The Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Chippewa were called the "three brothers" of the Algonquin family. As the Potawatomi migrated south, the Chippewa and Ottawa co-mingled peacefully in northern Michigan. They shared several hunting and fishing territories including the Sleeping Bear area." (nps.gov) The name of Michigan itself is derived from Ottawa "mishigami" meaning "large water".

Maybe your strobus can be named "Mishi" or maybe "Benz" or "Benzie"

Very nice piece of research! I like both ideas! The Mishigami is very fitting as I feel Benzonia is possible more Anglo... don’t know for sure maybe I’d best look into that as well.
Having spent my childhood and early teen yrs there each Summer it is a very special place and my girl Ms Mishi is my attachment!

 

[vancehanna]

Grand Rapids, Michigan here. Yes indeed, EWP are native. It is our state tree. I'm about 2.5 hours from Sleeping Bear and am there often. I can envision this tree on the slopes being influenced by the winds off "the big lake" (Lake Michigan).

Fantastic tree, thanks so much for sharing - don't see many of these as bonsai with those big needles! Wow. @Leo in N E Illinois - imagine you will enjoy this one!

Actually somewhere along M22 this tree was snatched... a snow plow survivor.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

It is definitely one of the best examples of strobus as bonsai I have seen. Excellent.

 

[vancehanna]

Just repotted (again) this past week as this girl is prolific and if you hadn’t seen ‘em her roots are massive collection of 2mm diameter pipes!

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Vance, does this react with a second flush when you decandle?

 

[vancehanna]

Yes and I have now made the last round of decandleing and await another few more days to remove the final round of elongated candles at the crown...
Detail wiring along the way....
Here she is today waiting the second flush so I can remove and clean up any odd needles etc from last year.

just need a few more days of growth on the crown and then I’ll remove all the final candles (most had already been cut in half)

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Vance, what do you look for in this tree as repot indications as to timing?

 

[vancehanna]

Wow! This girl is healthy and she’s a pusher! The pot that she is in has been the “chosen” one for the past decade. Seems this girl will push herself up in 24~36 months! This species also as you might know has very large feeder roots, probably at least a mm and 1/2 in diameter. So the root mass is crowded and the drain screen is pushed up also.
im just ending a 2 yr repot cycle now and give her another month and she might have pushed enough to say “hey papa might you find the time to adjust my feeties!” It’s getting tight in this old shoe! Hah!
I’ll keep an eye on her and if repot is necessary I’ll photograph it. Thanks for asking!

 

[Shogun610]

One of my favorite Bonsai.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Wow! This girl is healthy and she’s a pusher! The pot that she is in has been the “chosen” one for the past decade. Seems this girl will push herself up in 24~36 months! This species also as you might know has very large feeder roots, probably at least a mm and 1/2 in diameter. So the root mass is crowded and the drain screen is pushed up also.
im just ending a 2 yr repot cycle now and give her another month and she might have pushed enough to say “hey papa might you find the time to adjust my feeties!” It’s getting tight in this old shoe! Hah!
I’ll keep an eye on her and if repot is necessary I’ll photograph it. Thanks for asking!

Haha. So you judge repot timing for this tree based on how high she sits in the pot? But what do you look for to know the window for repotting has opened? Candles extending?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

Cant wait to see your repot pictures and info. Love this tree!

 

[vancehanna]

Haha. So you judge repot timing for this tree based on how high she sits in the pot? But what do you look for to know the window for repotting has opened? Candles extending?

Yes, candles moving… and I’ll pull her up out of the pot and take a peek at the root mass.

 

[Frozentreehugger]

I’m Canadian that’s the nicest EWP I have ever seen . To many think they can not be nice bonsai . Reading the post and the history . Just some info I live along the Nation river in Ontario . Below Ottawa Ont and above New York State . The river dumps into the Ottawa river . You mentioned the Algonquin tribe . The river gets its name . From French explorers . The Algonquin had transitioned . From hunter gatherers to . More established living in long houses . And farming . Except for a small tribe . That lived along the river . The French called them the La Petite Nation . Last of the hunter gatherer tribes . Translation to English would be feminine Small tribe Algonquin . Or The Small Algonquin anyway that’s a beautiful graceful lady . Congrats for creating it

 

[vancehanna]

Hi Frozen, and thank you for the complilment. Yes she's from that frozen north in the Lower penninsual of the mitten, Benzie county(shores on Lake MI) and in a sense my spiritual home.
I never found an arrow point as a kid but had an 'uncle' who did. He gave me six points he found in Traverse county off the shores of Torch Lake. I treasure them!
My tree was recognized by the US Nat Exhibition for acceptance yet the cost of shipment from CA was prohibitive. I'm hoping she's accepted in the N. Ca show that J.Dupuich is hosting in Oakland next year.
To answer Orion Metalhead's question for repotting info on this species I've attached some older photos from a few repots back. Again you'll see by the images that the roots are voracious! Now I'm searching carefully for a live edge slab for the presentation.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Hi Frozen, and thank you for the complilment. Yes she's from that frozen north in the Lower penninsual of the mitten, Benzie county(shores on Lake MI) and in a sense my spiritual home.
I never found an arrow point as a kid but had an 'uncle' who did. He gave me six points he found in Traverse county off the shores of Torch Lake. I treasure them!
My tree was recognized by the US Nat Exhibition for acceptance yet the cost of shipment from CA was prohibitive. I'm hoping she's accepted in the N. Ca show that J.Dupuich is hosting in Oakland next year.
To answer Orion Metalhead's question for repotting info on this species I've attached some older photos from a few repots back. Again you'll see by the images that the roots are voracious! Now I'm searching carefully for a live edge slab for the presentation.

By any other name a nice tree.

 

[Japonicus]

Yes and I have now made the last round of decandleing

Gorgeous tree Vance.
I did not know that. Julian Adams includes EWP as single flush in his book Growing Pines for Bonsai.
Wish I had a couple of sacrifice branches left on mine to try this with.