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The tree you see here in this picture is roughly 150 years old and by that I mean I have no real way to totally determine the actual age of this tree but however by using an age old theory of age dating trees by counting growth rings from a core sample taken at the base of the trunk one can then count the rings that form around the trunk through out each season and then pretty closely to some degree determine the age of a tree.
So that is what has been done with this tree. One core sample was taken at the lowest part of the trunk where it was at its widest and most thickest around then the core sample was examined and the growth rings counted to determine a fairly close age for this tree.
However let me just state for the record here so as to way off any confusion there is truly no way to totally at best determine the real age of most tress, at least not ones growing in the wild. But lets assume that you yourself planted a tree from seed and you yourself grew that tree all your natural life and then it was passed on down to the next generation person say for instance in your own family like many Japanese families have done over the ages, and then yet even once again the same tree is handed down again to the next documented person and they in turn grew the same tree for there natural life time and so on and so on of course all the time keeping accurate records in printed form and most assuredly keeping photo records when and where at all possible then indeed we, or he, she or they could indeed have a pretty accurate recorded of that given tree.
Then of course there should be no questions in anyone's mind as to the true said age of such a tree.
This I might add is and was a real practice with the Japanese culture and so most all of there tress are documented as to age. However not so here in the western civilization simply because no one seems to care, I might add of course other than the true collector. However the average joe or person who buys from there local nursery will almost always not get any real documentation or true age of said purchased trees.
Also if they were lucky enough or even far enough advanced in the art of bonsai to go out into the forest wilds and collect a Yamadori meaning collected in Japanese they still would not truly know the age of said collected tree, because age at best is something we all can only estimate.
However let's just try to be as practical as we could be and say let us assume that we are out looking for a tree to collect and we find an area in the forest that looks promising and we spot a small tree and by small I mean a tree say possibly fist sized around or maybe even two fists sizes around you would get pretty excited at least I know I would . So then my next thought is gee I wonder how old it is?
Well like I said there is no real way of knowing with out having a somewhat accurate core sample taken and that is not as easy as it sounds.
But what to me really remains as the kicker is how did that tree get in its resting place in the first place. Did a seed fall from a mother tree close by or did a bird drop a seed or perhaps some other critter, because lots of forest animals bury seeds only to forget where they hid it and then the seed germinates and pops up and starts growing. So then how long did it grow there in that place you found it. Has it been there a hundred years perhaps two hundred years maybe even more and no one knows for sure.
Any way the whole idea is astounding at best and truly should be taken into account and well thought out with how ever the tree was age dated estimated or other wise. So I guess what I'm trying to truly say is don't boast or brag or what ever unless you can prove it or have accurate records it will only serve to make you look foolish and not only does it make you sound and look foolish it is very misleading to the viewer and to the public in general.
I for one being a true avid collector and caretaker myself of bonsai do care and have trees that are as young as only a year or two and some that are upwards of two too three hundred years of age documented of course, simply because a lot of my trees have been handed down in my family for four generations and a lot of the tress I now own were purchased by my family from various parts of the world and some of the older specimen tress were purchased in Japan in the 50s and these tress were already well established and old when they were acquired and bought then now add my young age of only 80 years to the mix and you do the math and then decide.
One of the other nagging factors with age of tress of course is that of constant climate changes and conditions and these all affect the ring count on trees of course so you only can estimate at best and or guess if you do not have paper work and you might say what is all the fuss about age anyway well its a matter of bragging rights for one thing with some bonsai people I guess and or what ever, but for me it just makes sense to no and of course if you ever plan to sell any or all of your collection it is going to be a really big factor in determining what you get in the way of money out of your collection.
This tree was an acquired tree from a local Nursery and they had no real information either about the tree. For instance it would have been nice to know where the tree originally came from or even from whom, and that is sad that no one even seems to care to ask or do any kind or research to find out where the original tree came from in the first place and that includes many nursery's at large so buyer beware it is always a good thing to practice in buying bonsai trees ask for as much information as they have.
Was this tree say collected or was it perhaps started from a seed or even from smaller nursery stock purchased and then grown on to what it is now. The real way that this tree came to be what it is today seems totally amazing to me at best considering its size and stature, but when I first saw it I could not resist having it so I saved and bought it. Now normally I would never undertake purchasing a tree with no history but this tree to me was just to awesome to resist no matter the outcome.
Of course the ways that it came to be could be many but indeed with a tree of this size and stature you would have thought that someone selling it would have cared enough to ask the person they purchased it from. The tree has been in my collection now for a couple of years and I have been working and continuing to further style and train it since. These pines live to be hundreds of years old even in pots if cared for properly and I for one truly do take care of my plants as bonsai and have for many years.
The Ponderosa was first collected way back in 1826 in Eastern Washington near what we now no as Spokane, and it is also the state of Montana's state tree and grows predominantly in the western range of the United States and Canada, although it can be seen as far as the plains of Nebraska and of course Nevada where a Television series was created called Bonanza and the ranch they used in the series was called the Ponderosa more than likely because that area of filming had an abundance of these trees.
These pines can also be found as far south as Texas and on in too Mexico so yes the Ponderosa has been seen growing in a lot of different places and climates but still out side of being a bonsai it does grow predominantly in the Great Northwest.
These pines have a real tolerance for many conditions to include harsh rains wind and also dry climates where the trees would even say struggle to live and still they survive. I for one do nothing special with any of my trees other than to water as needed and feed throughout the growing season and then let nature take its course. I do not baby any of them or take any special precautions like some bonsai people do.
I truly have always believed that if you just let the trees grow on there own and only do your job of watering and feeding and repotting when called for you will have a good healthy tree for many years to come, I know I do.
When I do loose a tree it is because of my own neglect 90 percent of the time and not the fault of the tree or any other conditions other than me forgetting to water enough or over watering and or not enough sun or too much sun the list of conditions goes on and on but the bottom line here is do your research for each tree you plan to grow and you should be good to go.
Say for instance one of the deciding factors for Ponderosa is that they need totally full sun or as much as you can provide to really do well in your garden and they can go on the dry side for a bit without harming the tree so like I said again simply do your own home work before deciding.
The Ponderosa is no different and it is a very good looking pine to add to anyone's collection. These trees have a real stout needle and depending on where the tree is growing in the vast scheme of things it can have any where from two needles too three but the most common are three and that is what I have a three needle Ponderosa.
The size of these trees if left to grow in the ground can indeed reach some pretty majestic heights one was located in the state of Oregon and was measured out by a top horticulturist to be 268.29 feet tall and close to eight feet in girth and is on record now as the tallest pine known taking over the former record held by a sugar pine.
The Ponderosa Pine has also been called the bull pine and the western yellow pine and sometimes even the blackjack pine. Although most of these tress do grow in the state of Washington and Oregon they can be seen in many other areas as well and could be collected by an avid bonsai person and then kept in bonsai art form for many years assuming you know what your doing to start with.
If you do not have the knowledge to collect trees then by all means do not try, as in most cases you will only kill the tress and do no one including yourself any good. So if you want a collected one then by all means either purchase it or take someone along that has knowledge in the field of collected trees to help you.
Ponderosa Pine makes a very nice tree indeed for bonsai and any younger tree can be wired easily and trained into a very nice desirable shape with a little practice and time and they will survive in a fairly wide rage of climates and tolerate many growing conditions. Younger tress are known for there more blackish bark and are often times called blackjack pine because of this. Often times the older tress will eventually be noted by there orange colored bark and look a whole lot more majestic.
If wounded by nature the tree will emit a sap like resin we often times call pitch to help in covering over the scar and helping the tree to heal over and bounce back where it was wounded. If a limb or branch is removed in the art of bonsai then it is important to help seal over that area with cut paste used by many bonsai people to cover over areas cut on a tree.
Well at least I hope that I have sparked your interest in getting your self a Ponderosa for your tree collection if you have not already procured one. In closing happy tree hunting and please have a very nice summer.
Thanks, for reading,
Update for this tree it is going to be reworked this spring or possibly fall I'm not sure just yet weather and all permitting. But if you look at the tree closely you will see that it now has three places on the tree that could be considered a top or apex and that is truly not expectable in the world of bonsai so by reworking I mean to correct this and try to restyle the entire tree and this will be a major undertaking for me but it will happen.
By: Harold Yearout ©Copyright 2014 Harold Yearout All Rights Reserved for more information feel free to contact me: h.yearout@gmail.com
