I found this tree at a local nursery and the guy made me a great deal on it. He said he thought it was s Black Pine but didn't know much more than that. It's about 7' tall and 5' wide but is probably hindered by the small pot. It has about a 5" caliper at the base of the trunk. The branches seem to grow in a tiered type of pattern. Can anyone offer any help on a cultivar selection? I am picking it up on Saturday and can provide more pics if necessary. Thanks for your help.
Scots Pine seems to be the consensus right now. Hopefully these pics help. It's in my yard now so if anything else is needed let me know. How big will this get? Thanks for the help.
Yep, Scots Pine. At some point in the past it was growing fairly fast (wide spaces between the branch whorls), but has been slow the last few years, hardly surprising confined in that tiny pot. So if it was planted out, it might start growing fast again, and could eventually get large (20-30 metres tall). But there's also a very high risk that it will have structural defects in the root system from being pot-bound; that makes it very liable to blow down later in life in windy weather. If you do plant it, put it well away from anywhere it could fall on anything valuable or close to paths. I have to admit, I wouldn't have bought it, even at a knock-down price.
What about candle pruning and keeping it small? I would prefer that it not get large if possible. While I didn't spend a fortune on it I do think it's a beautiful tree and want to incorporate it into the garden if possible.
Yes, it looks nice. Since it is in a pot already for so many years why not to leave it there and keep it as a kind of big bonsai?
That is a thought as well. If it's going to live in a pot it at least needs to be larger. If I plant it in the ground can it be kept to a relative size to current with proper trimming/candling?
Michael, can not it be a Japanese Black Pine? The cones of Japanese Black and Scots Pines look very similar, and the bark and branch arrangement reminds me so much those on my European Black Pine?
