Styling a pine - parts 1 and 2

I guess it's unique! Maybe a cross-breed! Whatever it is I love it.

Sheila Hand wrote: Whatever it is I love it.

This is truly all that matters

Hello to those of you joined in the discussion about what my little 'pine' tree is called. The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) have replied to me and they say it is ........... a Spruce. As they only had a picture to go by they couldn't be sure, but they think it is Picea abies - Norway Spruce, i.e. A Christmas Tree!! Maybe I will put it on the Christmas dinner table and decorate it with tinsel.

Best wishes to all
Sheila

Hi Sheila,

I am pretty sure it is not a spruce, especially not picea abies. I am thinking something between hemlock or cedar, maybe something else but certainly not a spruce. IMHO.

Best...

Gašper

Thanks Gasper. My original post was asking for help with styling the tree, grown from a seed, and the discussion grew into what kind of tree it was!
Sheila

Yes, you are right. I have read the previous topic and I got a feeling that the question about the species was the first one to answer. Anyway...Since there are only two main branches before the bend I think the bend should be your apex, then the rest that follows the bend your right branch. The two branches on the left should be bent down in different directions and levels so they all form a triangular shape. That is how I would do it.
Hopefully someone with a great knowledge of Photoshop can make a virt as in his own vision.
Good luck.

Best...

Gašper

Hi Sheila. If you have a car, why not pop the tree in it and hop over to Ness Botanic Gardens for a proper identification in the flesh as it were. They are experts and will know for sure - there's even a Gardeners' Question Time event happening there in September with loads of celebrity experts as well. The future styling of the tree may just depend on this identification. Picea abies is generally not used much for bonsai over here but hemlock is.

NESS BOTANIC GARDENS

Given the origin story, I'm wondering whether this is Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea) with *juvenile* foliage which is very similar in appearance to this. The juvenile foliage is very different from an adult pine. The colour looks slightly off but that could be down to growing in shade. Try a google image search.
Tom

Thankyou for your comments and thankyou Gaspar for your ideas.
To Fiona - I've been to many gardens, but strangely not to Ness, so perhaps I will take my tree for a trip. I still feel it has something to do with a pine, although I do have 3 pine bonsais and they are quite different.
I shall be doing a bit of snipping this weekend as it has put a little spurt on over the past couple of weeks/
Regards
Sheila

Seed from Spain- not a douglas fir. Still think a cedar most possibly deodar.

Tom wrote:Given the origin story, I'm wondering whether this is Italian Stone Pine (Pinus pinea) with *juvenile* foliage which is very similar in appearance to this. The juvenile foliage is very different from an adult pine. The colour looks slightly off but that could be down to growing in shade. Try a google image search.
Tom

After 8 years I'd think it would have the long mature foliage, unless it's been cut hard all the time and it doesn't look like it has.

I'm sticking with Douglas fir.

It has been lightly trimmed most years as new growth comes quite quickly.
Sheila

cedar foliage grow in clusters and not like this plant, and... the needles are too fine for spruce...

IMHO it is a Abies (fir)..

The worst thing about forums......People that think they know when they clearly don't
Abies, even without a clear picture.

When it is a douglas fir, I think like others it is, bark and folliage tell me so, they grow in Holland in every forest. It will be pretty hard to make it a good convinching bonsai.
When you look on the internet for douglas fir bonsai, there arent too much good ones.

wishing you good luck,

Wessel