Backcountry Bonsai doesn’t show any Ponderosa bonsai, so we borrowed this yamadori Ponderosa pine from Ryan Neil’s Mirai, American Bonsai. There are signs of what some people might call corking (see the close up at the bottom of the post), but I don’t think Back Country Bonsai would qualify it as a cork bark Ponderosa.
Tonight is the opening of the Artisans Cup. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve noticed that we’ve been resurrecting posts that have something to do with Oregon and more specifically (though sometimes indirectly,) the Cup itself. This works for me as generating new posts while traveling and enjoying the activities of the Cup can be a task too far.
This post (with small changes) originally appeared April of this year.
I just stumbled across a new Backcountry Bonsai post and, in addition to getting all excited about rediscovering Steve and Dan’s excellent blog (here’s the original discovery), I learned something new. Namely that there is such a thing as a Cork bark Ponderosa pine.
Here’s a quote from Backcountry Bonsai. “One could easily be fooled into thinking they had found a cork ponderosa as many can have very impressive bark. But just because there is a lot of great bark doesn’t make it a cork-bark….” Steve and Dan have a lot more to say about Ponderosas (Cork bark and otherwise) and collecting in general, but rather than trying to steal their thunder, I’ll just encourage you to visit Backcountry Bonsai.
This Backcountry Bonsai photo of a wild uncollected Ponderosa pine shows what real cork bark looks like. There's even a very prominent wing sticking out on the left (opposite the hand). A sure sign of a cork bark.
A little closer. Speaking of wings, take a look at the branch on the upper left.
Even this small branch shows corking.
This wild Ponderosa doesn't have anything to with cork bark, but I wanted to share this quote about collecting (and not collecting) from Backcountry. "Speaking of un-collectible trees… Here’s another one I stumbled upon this spring. What an impressive tree! But please, if you find a tree like this that does not promise collection with a viable root mass, don’t collect it! Don’t let greed win over reason and ethics. One of the things I love most about the bonsai community is our respect for awesome trees. We have a responsibility to conservation, just as much as anyone else."
You can see the way the bark is layering at the base of the trunk in this closeup of the tree at the top of this post but I'm not so sure Steve and Dan would call this corking (see the quote above). Still, of all the Ponderosas on Mirai Bonsai, this one has the thickest and most impressive bark.
Speaking of Ryan Neil’s Mirai, American Bonsai, it’s time to remind you once again of the upcoming Artisans Cup Bonsai Exhibition in Portland, Oregon this fall. Given what we know so far, I think this promises to be a seminal North American bonsai event (note from the present: It opens tonight!).
The Ponderosa shown on the cover of Larry Jackel's excellent book has the reddish bark you find on so many Ponderosas. Available at Stone Lantern and what better time while our 25% off Book Sale lasts.