AusBonsai

So, bloke nearby was relandscaping and pulled out a row of young j. Scopulorum all with about an inch thick trunk.
Took a couple off his hands and now I'm staring at them scratching my head contemplating my first move.
Anyone have any experience with these or have some advice for me. Progress pictures of anyone's scopulorum would be real cool too.

At least these are not too prickly. Many years ago I grew a few similar upright, pyramid shaped junipers. Could not train them into conventional juniper shaped trees as they just tried to grow up all the time. I also got sick of the prickles on mine so started grafting shimpaku onto all the branches because they had developed really great trunks and nebari. The one I still have is a great tree now.
What I'm saying is: worth trying. The Yanks collect a lot of the wild species and make great bonsai from them. If training the upright variety is not satisfactory try grafting to a variety that is better suited to bonsai.

Not the skyrocket variety as such, but scopulorum is the Rocky Mountain juniper, check out Bonsai Mirai, that should wet your appetite

Oops I was under the impression skyrocket was a scopulorum.
So what's the binomial name for these? Not funding much info out there.

Sorry my bad, skyrocket is scopulorum but its a cultivar I believe, I was just giving you some examples of what scopulorum can become

It looks like you are both correct.
The original wild form of Rocky Mountain juniper is J. scopulorum which grows as a large shrub or small tree but someone has found one odd shaped J. scopulorum that has a tight, narrow, upright growth habit. Because that tree was neater than the ordinary ones they started to grow cuttings for sale and gave it a cultivar name - J. scopulorum 'Skyrocket' True skyrocket can only be propagated asexually (usually cuttings). Seedlings may not have the same habit and many will probably look like the original wild ones. This is how most cultivars of all sorts of species are discovered, named and propagated.

Skyrocket is a J. scopulorum so will probably grow as bonsai like its wild siblings but the different growth habit may make styling difficult unless you want to grow a bonsai pencil pine.
Worth trying, as I said earlier, but don't be surprised if styling is difficult.

viewtopic.php?f=134&t=21577&p=218455#p218455

This is my Sky Rocket now.
Trunk split and wire for next season.
They are very hardy and I think I will find some more and try a fusion.

So much juicy info. Thanks yall.
These guys were left to their own devices in the ground for a while so the trunks are power pole straight so I'm hoping to pull of a nice formal. Got everything wired down now and crossing all my fingers.

So much juicy info. Thanks yall.
These guys were left to their own devices in the ground for a while so the trunks are power pole straight so I'm hoping to pull of a nice formal. Got everything wired down now and crossing all my fingers.

Firecat he looks great.
How long has it been in training for and how easily did it back bud?
I've pulled all my branches down but as it hasn't been trained all the foliage is at the extremities of the branches so I've trimmed and pinched as much as I dare and just waiting for it to fill in now I guess.