What do you think about a scots pine cultivar "hillside creeper" for bonsai?

[youngsai]

A nursery I frequent had a couple of these that have really great potential imo. they have a really great small needle and cone, cool plate like grey bark, and a creeping winding nature, but not altogether prostrate and weak looking like a blue rug or something. kinda semi-prostrate with a wickedly cool trunk line imho... I'm mulling over buying a fairly large one for $90 bucks, but I didn't pull the trigger yet, thought I would read up on them, and low and behold- zilch, cannot find anything out about them at all!?

anyone have experience with them, or can think of any reasons that I should stay away from them?

 

[Vance Wood]

A nursery I frequent had a couple of these that have really great potential imo. they have a really great small needle and cone, cool plate like grey bark, and a creeping winding nature, but not altogether prostrate and weak looking like a blue rug or something. kinda semi-prostrate with a wickedly cool trunk line imho... I'm mulling over buying a fairly large one for $90 bucks, but I didn't pull the trigger yet, thought I would read up on them, and low and behold- zilch, cannot find anything out about them at all!?

anyone have experience with them, or can think of any reasons that I should stay away from them?

I've never heard of it and I grow a lot of Scots Pine. It certainly sounds extremely interesting and if I had $90 in discretionary funds I might gobble it up provided it did not poses an ugly graft.

 

[fourteener]

I just put one in my landscaping last year. I paired it with a cool piece of driftwood that I found on the shore. It does look phoenix-graft like. Still trying to decide if it's just a landscape project or a long term bonsai project. Maybe both. It has some cool potential.

 

[Vance Wood]

I would love to see some photos of this cultivar!

 

[fourteener]

I would love to see some photos of this cultivar!

When my drift melts...in June...I'm on it!

 

[youngsai]

Ok, I'm getting it, I'll take a bunch of pics of interesting cultivars that I know nothing about but look interesting... I really love this place, a garden centre where I often tip the guy who runs the front desk, paid off big time. I now get first dibs in this place, they let me roam around the 10/15 acre property, although the sign says they open in a month. I feel like a kid in a candy store, it really is awesome. I also have access to unlimited free moss as they end up having to remove it anyways, they just let me stroll around to my heart content. I grab a cart and get lost in there...

 

[fourteener]

First of all..."Hillside" is a section of our city. A part that is known for crime, drugs and trouble. This plant being called a "Hillside Creeper" is poorly named here in Duluth MN!!

Here's a pic of the one I bought and put into my landscaping this last summer. Like a procumbens nana, it doesn't grow up, only out. I'm gonna work it for awhile in the ground. Move towards a cool trunk line. Maybe someday it'll be a bonsai, for now it's not. I did pair it with a stump that washed up in Lake Superior. My gardening version of a phoenix graft without the graft.

 

[youngsai]

That is very cool looking fourteen! Sorry for still not posting mine, I'm having serious juniper scale issues on all my conifer, and I'm battling them with all my spare time right now...

 

[robert gardner]

I just bot a hillside creeper for Father's day. It is in about a 3 gal. plastic pot, only cost $70.00. Happy day for me, now I need to find a really cool pot for it. That can wait for another year as you
don't want to do too much to a Scots pine in one year. It has a really tremendous truck , a little over one inch about 2 inches to the first bent and then crazy after that. I have worked with Scots Pine
before but nothing this size.
May due a little light pruning this Fall, but you all know how time is in the BONSAI WORLD.

 

[sdavis]

A nursery I frequent had a couple of these that have really great potential imo. they have a really great small needle and cone, cool plate like grey bark, and a creeping winding nature, but not altogether prostrate and weak looking like a blue rug or something. kinda semi-prostrate with a wickedly cool trunk line imho... I'm mulling over buying a fairly large one for $90 bucks, but I didn't pull the trigger yet, thought I would read up on them, and low and behold- zilch, cannot find anything out about them at all!?

anyone have experience with them, or can think of any reasons that I should stay away from them?

This cultivar is fairly common in NW nurseries. It trunks-up rapidly, is hardy, and has nice green needles. It is a vigorous grower and has a prostrate growth form. Might do best as a cascade. Try it!

 

[Vance Wood]

It all depends on how obvious the graft is, presuming the tree is a grafted cultivar. Most Scots Pines I have been exposed to and worked on are pretty nice for most anything.

 

[sdavis]

It all depends on how obvious the graft is, presuming the tree is a grafted cultivar. Most Scots Pines I have been exposed to and worked on are pretty nice for most anything.

Good point, Vance. Check the graft site carefully!

 

[Vance Wood]

The problem here is a peculiar problem with Scots Pines. Many of the named cultivars have extreme and obvious exfoliating bark, the standard Scots Pine not so much. The problem with the graft is the difference is so obvious it stands out like a foot ball in a punch bowl. If you don't see it you don't have a problem, if you see it you will know what I am talking about.

 

[Wilson]

I just bot a hillside creeper for Father's day. It is in about a 3 gal. plastic pot, only cost $70.00. Happy day for me, now I need to find a really cool pot for it. That can wait for another year as you
don't want to do too much to a Scots pine in one year. It has a really tremendous truck , a little over one inch about 2 inches to the first bent and then crazy after that. I have worked with Scots Pine
before but nothing this size.
May due a little light pruning this Fall, but you all know how time is in the BONSAI WORLD.

Hey Robert, how is this tree growing for you? I just set a neglected one aside at a local nursery. I absolutely love scots pines! How about yours in the garden @fourteener ?

 

[garywood]

A nursery I frequent had a couple of these that have really great potential imo. they have a really great small needle and cone, cool plate like grey bark, and a creeping winding nature, but not altogether prostrate and weak looking like a blue rug or something. kinda semi-prostrate with a wickedly cool trunk line imho... I'm mulling over buying a fairly large one for $90 bucks, but I didn't pull the trigger yet, thought I would read up on them, and low and behold- zilch, cannot find anything out about them at all!?

anyone have experience with them, or can think of any reasons that I should stay away from them?

Youngsai, they are doable like the weeping J.Red Pine but there is more wiring or more frequent wiring to keep an upright pad. If it's a good graft and an interesting trunk I think it's worth the extra effort just not for a ho hum tree
Just saw the OP date. Oh well ;-)

 

[robert gardner]

this Robert again. about the Hillside creeper, just love this conifer. I did have to due some light pruning, as the outer foliage was
to much shade for the interior branches. they were all turning yellow from lack of sunlight. after the pruning my hillside responded
well. re-potted before and left the root system alone. used my chopsticks and worked in plenty of new soil with punice added along
with a Mycorrhizae mixture. the tree is looking great. would recommend this wonderful conifer to anyone with great patience. let me
let me know how things turnout

 

[Wilson]

After I removed more than half of the tree, I think I have a fun literati in my future. I know it isn't any great material, but I quite enjoy it!

 

[robert gardner]

I think making a Literati might give you a hard time as this tree is a prostrate grower. From what I see is the potential for a very awesome cascade. You might think about cutting off the first branch on the left and afterwards making a nice tight bend before or below the branch pruning.
Yow have a very nice start on your tree just take your time read up on Literati styles and go ahead and have fun.

 

[Potawatomi13]

I think making a Literati might give you a hard time as this tree is a prostrate grower. From what I see is the potential for a very awesome cascade. You might think about cutting off the first branch on the left and afterwards making a nice tight bend before or below the branch pruning.
Yow have a very nice start on your tree just take your time read up on Literati styles and go ahead and have fun.

Literati does not need to be upright. Cascades rule.