What about a Northern group

[Frenchymanny]

Truly the growth season is shorter and protection is a must for a lot of classic bonsai species. Where I am animals are challenging too. Every spring looks like a miracle

 

[Dav4]

This group needs a name. Put your suggestions in the replies.
Icelanders
Out-in-the-cold

Balls-cold Bonsai Guys!

 

[WinstonWolfe]

This group needs a name. Put your suggestions in the replies.
Icelanders
Out-in-the-cold

BNuters of the North

 

[Cajunrider]

Balls-cold Bonsai Guys!

The Frozen Nuts?

 

[WinstonWolfe]

Truly the growth season is shorter and protection is a must for a lot of classic bonsai species. Where I am animals are challenging too. Every spring looks like a miracle

Miracle on Ice... maybe that's a good group name

 

[BobbyLane]

Laurentian Mountains​

"One of the oldest mountain ranges in the world is in a wildlife reserve with hiking & biking trails."
Maybe share with us, some of the ancient tree images you must of built up over the years

 

[nuttiest]

The weather extreme-nuts. I can't believe many up north are having to deal with record highs so soon after record snow just a short time ago. I don't think we ever see those temps in Fl.
In May there are still posts about not putting a plant out because it is still too cold. Only a matter of weeks before people will post about bringing them back in for air conditioning.

 

[Michigan Tree Murderer]

How about the "The Great White North" ? We can drink beer and tell hosers to shove off.

 

[Adamski77]

I don't have a name that would compete with all suggestions... but you brought up what I'm missing the most in my garden now. I live in Shanghai and they will just not survive here but I'm originally from Poland and whenever I go to see my parents out there I can see what I'm missing...

 

[Frenchymanny]

Amazingly enough, I am only 120 miles North of Montreal, and the climate is way colder.

As a name as suggested Bonsainuts of the North?

Deer is the main danger here. And larches fascinate me. What a great tree to do bonsai. How do you estimate the age of a tree? some are with me for the last 7 years and I collected them mature

 

[Paradox]

Maybe best to not make it focussed on species, but on "Growing bonsai in extreme cold climates" then?

Id agree with this sentiment for the following reasons:
Of the species mentioned in this thread

Hemlock, spruce and larch are all already covered under "Other conifers"
Mugo Pines and Ill add Scots pines are already covered under "pines"
Acer rubrum and saccharum are already covered under "Maples"
Birch already covered under "Other deciduous"

I dont think we need a section for northern species because we already have threads for all of the species mentioned in the sections I listed.
So now we have yet another place to look for infomation on these species. The forum is already huge with different categories and I think adding yet another would cause confusion

and

Interestingly, though I live in North Carolina, you list some of my favorite tree species - and I have them growing in landscape here. Eastern hemlock, several spruces, acer rubrum and acer saccharum. The only thing I don't have here is larch. So even though you are up in Quebec, some of your species are all the way down here (albeit at the south end of their range).

The range on some of these species dont make them truly "northern species"

Sorry if my opinion is unpopular, I just dont see the reason or the need for making a specific section for a group of species that are already covered in sections that better represent them.

 

[Frenchymanny]

I agree that what makes us different to mainstream is our way late spring, shorter growing season and challenging long and freezing winter. I would like to hear others on how they prepare their trees for winters etc...

 

[Cajunrider]

I think the group idea is good with people having a common set of challenges at roughly the same time.

 

[WinstonWolfe]

After about 10 years of practice, I'm just starting to get a solid collection of trees that are hardy enough to survive my torture, as well as the climate. It has been a process for sure.
Winter protection is critical. Green house/ shed essential, with warming matts, insulation, mulch, etc.
In my experience, there is no "silver bullet" its a combination of measures that have worked... mostly anyway

 

[Frenchymanny]

WinstonWolfe are we talking about endemic species or traditional species?

 

[Tycoss]

Winter can be brutal here, and wildlife can be obnoxious. I have access to nice endemic/invasive material and at this point don't even consider most traditional species. It is about finding species with similar characteristics that thrive in my climate, for me at least. I'm certainly interested in how others approach issues of growing bonsai in northern climates. I'm presently keeping lots of spruce, a few other conifers and various broadleaf varieties. Happy to give advice/pictures here or in PMs

 

[Dogestoevsky]

Rats and rabbits are a huge menace for me in Milwaukee — and natives are often the favorite items on the buffet! I’ve lost a couple ground growing hazelnuts, hackberries, and maples before I wised up and started making cloches with hardware cloth. I really really hate that rats chew my boxwood bark though

 

[Frenchymanny]

Oversized rat traps baited with bread and peanut butter are excellent to control squirrel and chipmonks