Pinus cultivars

Horticulture
1

Hey guys,

Does anyone have any experience with which cultivars of Pinus Densiflora (Japanese Red Pine) and Mugo Pine make the best raw material for bonsai?

Many thanks!!

Chris

2 Likes
2

Chris beatiful bonsai can be made and have been made of both species. Your question is difficult yo answer. what you mean by ā€œbestā€? What specific quality or features do you desire?

3

Thanks for reply Coltranem,

Agreed pretty much anything can be made into beautiful bonsai. However, certain characteristics of particular cultivars makes them ā€˜idealā€™ as subjects. I suppose in terms of pines I would be looking for:

  1. Short needles
  2. Tight foliage
  3. Vigorous growth
  4. Amenability to wiring and moderate/heavy pruning
  5. Tolerant and productive in temperate climates with mod-heavy rainfall
  6. General ā€˜happinessā€™ in the bonsai container

There are obviously dozens of different cultivars of each pine and Mugoā€™s in particular are very accessible and affordable as nursery stock. However I have heard that some dwarf cultivars donā€™t lend themselves well to bonsai. Similarly I have found a number of nurseries in the UK (where Iā€™m based) that sell a number of varieties of Japanese White Pine.

Whenever you buy a JWP from a bonsai dealer thereā€™s no mention of which particular cultivar it is so I was wondering if anyone knew of any particular Mugo and JWP cultivars that lent themselves well to bonsai.

KR

Chris

4

I am not well versed in all the Mugo cultivars but I do believe Mugoā€™s like water more than most pines.

5

For Mugo pines, the best cultivar on my opinion is the Ā« pinus uncinata Ā». Short needles, very generous backbuddingā€¦

6

Hi Chris, try Pinus Sylvestris Beuvronensis which is a shrub form of the Scots Pine. It is a dwarf, slowi (ish) growing variety - though not slow enough to lose interest. It has bluish - green needles which are about half the length of a normal scots pine. It is (like a normal scots pine) quite adaptable to life as a bonsai. In the UK it is often planted in gardens and is readily available at garden centres.

7

Hey Michel, that does look like a lovely cultivar!!! And iā€™ve found a nursery in the UK that has lots of them!! :smiley:

8

Hi Keith, thanks for the tip mate!! i will go hunting!!

1 Like