I’ve always wondered what Sierra junipers look like in winter. We often hear about how alpine trees are “buried in snow” through the winter months, but I hadn’t seen this first hand. After many visits to see these giant, natural bonsai over the years, I recently had the opportunity to see them after an early […]
Sierra juniper
Refining a Sierra juniper
Ned Lycett was one of the happy exhibitors at the inaugural Artisans Cup held in Portland, Oregon, last month. The tree he displayed was a Sierra juniper he collected in 2006. Here is the tree as presented at the Cup. Sierra juniper by Ned Lycett aka Deadwood Bonsai This month, Ned got to work on […]
The twistiest of junipers
This is the first juniper I fell for on my previous visit to Meiss Meadow. Twisty Sierra juniper It’s one of the twistiest specimens I know of. The deadwood is great. Deadwood detail From some angles it’s difficult to tell if the trunk line is coming or going. So many twists How large is this […]
Spectacular Sierra junipers
Among my favorite trees in nature is this Sierra juniper. Spectacular Sierra juniper The tree sits on a throne facing East where it enjoys limited protection from the wind. It gives evidence to a protracted and tortuous existence. How big is it? Standing on the rock behind the tree for perspective Pretty big. The deadwood […]
Junipers on the edge
The Sierra juniper, Juniperus occidentalis, is found in pockets throughout the Sierra Nevada. When exposed to particularly harsh conditions like those found at tree line – the elevation above which no trees can grow – junipers can display krummholz. Krummholz is the phenomenon whereby trees are dwarfed or contorted by the elements. Among the many varieties […]