Bonsai Tonight

An educational website about bonsai development

Visiting ancient Sierra junipers

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Last weekend I visited some of my favorite Sierra junipers near Carson Pass, California.

On these trips, I visit old favorites and look out for new highlights that’d I’d missed on previous trips.

Deadwood

Juniper deadwood

Cascade juniper

Natural cascade Sierra juniper

Deadwood

Deadwood on the back of the trunk

Only a handful of the trees look like giant bonsai. Most are far younger and grow upright. That said, the occasional upright tree has ample character.

Upright juniper

Upright Sierra juniper

One of my favorites is an old tree perched on a granite outcrop. Noticing that the deadwood sat directly on stone, I wondered if there had been soil there at one time or if the seed had sprouted directly from a crack in the rock.

Old juniper

Old Sierra juniper

The bright sun highlighted the white deadwood, the cinnamon bark, and the yellow lichen growing on deadwood which made for a colorful scene.

Lichen

Yellow lichen growing on deadwood

I spent more time than usual trying to figure out just how many twists the juniper below makes and how the branch structure works. I can’t say I figured it out, but I enjoyed the investigation.

Twisty juniper

View from the West (windward side)

Sierra juniper

View from the east (leeward side)

Sierra juniper deadwood

Deadwood detail

For photos from previous visits to the area, check out the following posts about Sierra junipers.

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Comments

  2. Absolutely amazing! I love these old Junipers and the Sierras that they inhabit. Thanks for sharing, Jonas!

  3. Jonas, thank you so much for these photographs. They are so powerful. One of my favorite shoots was outside Bishop, and photographing the Bristlecone Pine. I made to the Sierra Pass, and that Juniper (I’d have to look up the names here). That tree was a landmark for people coming to CA, go north to the gold mining, or down to the valley. I was able to get shots of some great Sierra Juniper on the East side.
    Thank you. I feel to cooped up when I know these places are available, and I’m stuck here without a car, or someone that wants to drive me! I was lucky to have a group a few years ago. Carson pass has some very great trees. The Aspen grove there is said to be on of the “oldest trees” as Aspen just grow the roots, and sent up shoots for trees. The trees die, but the roots live on, sending up new trees. This is the very best time to photograph the Aspen, as the colors are changing. Why don’t you live closer!
    Thank you.
    Kitty

    • Thank you Kitty! We saw some aspen starting to turn color – I think in the next few weeks they’ll take on even more color. I hadn’t heard about the landmark juniper – will have to track down the story and check it out!

  4. Great pictures, that is one thing I really miss about the Sierra and White Mountains, have been promising to take Peter from Herons Bonsai up there but covid killed that, maybe we could get a group and do a class in the audience of ancients.

  5. Excellent photos, Jonas. Miss the pass so much. Next year is my goal. The older ones are simply….gnarly and beautiful. The younger trees are still so rugged. Being able to see up into the trees gives one an excellent view of the branching and natural ramification. Great photos can be taken looking up into the trees. This was a treat. Thanks!!!