Outstanding Japanese (Korean?) Red Pine Bonsai 12/28/15

redpinesavaob

Cork bark Japanese Red pine? I found this remarkably corked-up pine on the Art of Bonsai Project. It's by Enrico Savini. I've never heard of a Cork bark Red pine (Cork bark Japanese black pines are fairly common), but that's what AoB says. Whatever it is, there's no denying that it's an exceptional tree.

According to Wikipedia, Japanese red pines (Pinus densiflora) should probably be called Korean red pines.
For Korean people, even today, it is considered to represent Korean spirit and mentioned in South Korean national anthem, Aegukga. Since it was introduced to the West by Japanese scholars during the colonial era, it was named “Japanese red pine” in English, and it still hurts Korean people’s pride. Accordingly, they are trying to changed its name into simply “red pine” or “Korean red pine.

 

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I found this muscular old Red pine at Michael Bonsai. The photo is from the famous Kokufu Exhibition, number 87.

 

redpinekoku

Here's another that Michael Bonsai posted. Also from Kokufu 87.

 

redpinemarioaob

Nice tree. It's by Mario Komsta, who we featured just the other day. You don't see such distinctive shari on pines that often (Junipers yes, pines not as much). The photo is from the Art of Bonsai Project.

 

redpinemario

Another by Mario from the Art of Bonsai Project (I think we've shown this tree once or twice). The bark does have a hint of cork, but nothing like the tree at the top of the post.

 

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