Altitude differences

I've recently been looking at yamadori online from high altitude areas... 5000-9000 foot range. I live in an area that's around 1000' foot range. Will a tree survive the difference? I know it's more about growing season than altitude, is that the only major difference?

guess there are many differences , snow cover , UV light , general light levels, humidity, but I have never heard any comments from collectors other than what you would expect . I would expect much drier winters (Snow cover) and very high UV levelsas compared to low level wetter and shaded conditions

Heat and moisture probably will be the biggest differences. But this matter complexity will depend on other factors like latitud, sea distance, face of the montain from where you collect the tree.

High elevation sunlight intensities are significantly higher than sea level light intensities, possibly near to double the LUX or PAR comparing 10,000ft (roughly 6000 meters) to sea level. There is usually a much sharper day night temperature differential, 25 or more degrees at high elevation, versus 10 degrees at sea level. Then there are differences in average temps, humidity and more.

Most of the more commonly collected yamadori, like ponderosa pine, pinion pine, limber pine, come from fairly wide range of elevations, so they usually are able to adapt. Generally if you are at low elevation, make sure your high elevation tree gets full sun. Some species are notorious as being difficult to get to adapt to bonsai culture. Bristlecone pines, all 3 species, largely do not seem to do well at low elevation. But certain individuals have had success, so it would be difficult to say with any certainty that elevation alone is the reason for ''failure to thrive''. Subalpine fir is another with a reputation as being difficult to get to survive.

My suggestion would be to ask around at your local bonsai club, and see if anyone has success with the species you are thinking of purchasing. There is no one answer fits them all, it is a species by species question.

Many of the spruces are found right up to the tree line, Colorado blue, Engelmann spruce, and others are very high elevation trees, yet they do well enough at low elevation that they are common landscape material. These would also be good choices. If the species you are looking at is sold locally as landscape material you will be unlikely to encounter any unique problems due to adaptation to high elevation.

Thanks for the info....I have a couple of trees I got locally, I figured they'd be ok. I recently was looking at yamadori collected in the higher altitudes.. I may just do some hunting myself locally
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