This simple and graceful old tree belongs to Ryan Neil (Bonsai Mirai). Here's what Ryan's caption says about it: "Lodgepole Pine. Pinus contorta latifolia. Collected in 2009 from a lava flow in the Cascade Mountains. Rapidly becoming one of Mirai's favorites!" Interesting how the trunk looks kinda like a lava flow.
I have no idea why Lodgepole pine bonsai are so rare, but they are. In the entire history of Bonsai Bark (almost seven years and several thousand bonsai) we have shown only three. Counting the three shown here (we’ve shown the one at the bottom before). Which is to say, that all three Lodgepoles that we know of, belong to Bonsai Mirai (or belonged to Bonsai Mirai; Ryan may have sold one or two).
An impressively full cascade. Which is to say that the distance between the base of the tree and the tip of the cascade is uncommonly long. From Bonsai Mirai's website.
An almost equilateral triangle (negative space) and a whole lot of character. The mark of long years and harsh conditions.
I believe that this is the only Lodgepole pine we've shown before now.
All three trees shown here are from Bonsai Mirai (the one at the top appears on facebook, the other two are from Mirai’s website).
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