Nishiki Japanese white pine

Hello everyone, does anyone have a Nishiki Japanese five needle pine as bonsai. I bought a Japanese white pine from a bon  sai nursery , sold as Nishiki variety, which has very old looking bark on the trunk and branches. My research (google) has turned up very little info. My tree is grafted onto Japanese black pine rootstock. I believe the nursery owner when he says the variety is nishiki,  he is a bonsai professional who personally selects his trees from Japan,  and I believe he studied there. Does anyone know anything about this variety,  any difference in horticultural practices between this and other JWP.  Any responses would be very much appreciated.

jamesregin wrote:Hello everyone, does anyone have a Nishiki Japanese five needle pine as bonsai. I bought a Japanese white pine from a bon  sai nursery , sold as Nishiki variety, which has very old looking bark on the trunk and branches. My research (google) has turned up very little info. My tree is grafted onto Japanese black pine rootstock. I believe the nursery owner when he says the variety is nishiki,  he is a bonsai professional who personally selects his trees from Japan,  and I believe he studied there. Does anyone know anything about this variety,  any difference in horticultural practices between this and other JWP.  Any responses would be very much appreciated.

I believe what he is referring to is something I have not seen anywhere except in the old Yuji Yoshimura book which was  Japanese White pine branches grafted onto a thick barked Nishiki Matsu Japanese Black Pine trunk.  The kind of bonsai that is interesting more for the novelty of it than its beauty as a  bonsai.  I understand that most of these Nishiki grafts are very fragile. When one takes in account that the Nishiki trunk has to be grafted onto regular Japanese Blake Pine and then the White Pine branches have to be grafted onto the Nishiki trunk you are talking about a tree where two separate grafts are likely to fail if the tree is not treated correctly.

Can you post a picture of it please, James.   Most JWP sold in the UK are grafted on to Black Pine rootstock so you'd be fine just following the routine advice given for white pine.

There are several cultivars of Nishiki Japanese five-needle pine, also called Cork Bark Japanese five-needle pine. One common cultivar is 'Adatara'.

Also, there is a Wart Bark Japanese five-needle pine cultivar called 'Ibo-Kan'. This cultivar name is often misspelled in English. It has blueish needles and quite warty bark.

Good luck!

Bill

William N. Valavanis wrote:There are several cultivars of Nishiki Japanese five-needle pine, also called Cork Bark Japanese five-needle pine. One common cultivar is 'Adatara'.

Also, there is a Wart Bark Japanese five-needle pine cultivar called 'Ibo-Kan'. This cultivar name is often misspelled in English. It has blueish needles and quite warty bark.

Good luck!

Bill

So there is a cultivar of White Pine that has this kind of bark. Thanks for the information. I am assuming that it too is grafted?

Yes, all the cultivars of Japanese five-needle pine must be grafted or air layered. However, 'Zuisho' can be successfully rooted, but its difficult.

William N. Valavanis wrote:Yes, all the cultivars of Japanese five-needle pine must be grafted or air layered. However, 'Zuisho' can be successfully rooted, but its difficult.

Thank you for the quick response.

Many thanks to everyone for your replies. I've been out with the family so didn't have time to check the forum until now. Mr wood the tree is grafted onto black pine rootstock, the branches are not grafted onto a black pine trunk.
Mr Valavanis I believe it is indeed a cultivar, but the needles are a soft green, not bluish, nice smallish needles-similar size to my ko ko no e. The bark is not warty-just really rough looking and tears very easily if branches are bent too far to quickly. I have been having problems posting pics but will try again now Many thanks.

I'm not sure what is going on but the photos are not appearing correctly, I'll try again one at a time.

The tree after rough styling, the lowest branch is from another tree.
I'll try to upload some more pics.

Not a massive tree, about 43cm tall after styling.

Base of the tree showing the graft

Close up of the bark.

Base of branch- no graft

After branch pruning, before styling.

Nice tree, kind of a good graft, however it is NOT the cultivar Nishiki. The bark on Nishiki is quite different than what you are showing. Perhaps your plant is 'Arakawa', which is the rough bark Japanese five-needle pine.

Perhaps you did not read my prior message correctly. The cultivar Ibo Kan has bluish needles and wart bark, not the Nishiki cultivar.\

Mr Valavanis I think you are correct in that it may be ara kawa. Thanks a million for your help.