Sierra Nevada Mountains

The Manzanita Mystery

This Manzanita is growing on a granite ledge on a rise just before you drop down into Yosemite valley. The others shown below are from the same general area. All the photos were taken by Amy Palmer, during a Sierra hiking and tree identification trip that Amy and I just returned from. Pervasive, beautiful, and seemingly perfect for bonsai Whenever I go into the California Coast range or the Sierras, I’m struck by the Manzanitas. Not only are they eye catching in ways few plants are (the photos speak for themselves) but many appear to be near perfect for bonsai … Continue reading The Manzanita Mystery

Boon’s Big Bonsai: The Original (Plus One)

Here’s the original photo (©2009 Boon Manakitivipart) of Boon admiring one of the most amazing trees anywhere (see our last post if you haven’t already). It was taken by Michael Pitalo (Kneecap Graph X). If you check back to this earlier post, you might think that Boon has a knack for finding extraordinary trees, or at least being photographed with extraordinary trees (we’re waiting for number three as final proof). The tree Okay, we know it’s amazing. The longer you look at it, the more amazing it is. But, we still haven’t identified the species (Sierra juniper?). And we’ll probably … Continue reading Boon’s Big Bonsai: The Original (Plus One)