A Very Wide Japanese Black Pine!!!

[SLR5000]

Well, our bonsai tour is over, ending yesterday, Sunday. We still have another 9 days in Japan and are heading down to Hiroshima tomorrow for some sightseeing. But I have done some research, and there are some bonsai nurseries down that way.
I will post more on our bonsai tour during the next days.

On the bonsai tour, we had were fortunate to visit the Shimpuku-ji temple in Kyoto which houses one of Japan’s best private bonsai collection. I will post more photos and information about this in the coming days.

During the visit, whilst looking at the collection, we had the pleasure of meeting the high abbot, seen in the first photo with the group.
Sorry, but I cannot remember the abbot’s name (not Tony!!) He invited us to look at his private collection that the the public do not get to see - more on that later also.

As we entered his garden, just around the corner was this Japanese Black Pine, and it was unbelievable - it was not the height but the width of it. The pine was planted 40 years ago by the abbot.

The abbot told the group that in it’s 40 years in the ground, it has not grown in height but outwards instead. I stepped it out to see how long the branches were, and the right branch was around 6 metres long and the other branch was around 16 metres long, and it is still growing!!

The branches are supported by small post. The photos do not do it justice.

The abbot said the deciduous trees in the background are cherry trees, and it was very beautiful in spring. When we went inside to eat lunch, the room overlooked this view, with the mountains in the background, and we agreed it would look glorious in springtime.

I hope you like this, as it’s something different.

Lance

[CraigM]

Incredible, thanks for updates