Does anyone else happen to have this variety? The information I've been able to find on the web indicates that it's a hybrid, although there seems to be some question about whether it's a cross between Pinus densiflora and Pinus thunbergii or a cross between Pinus densiflora and Pinus nigra. Different information sources label it as one or the other. Logically, it makes more sense that it would be JRP x JBP since that is the situation that would exist in the native environment in Japan.
The one that I got was labeled as Pinus densiflora x nigra 'Jane Kluis', but since it was from a big box store, not a nursery, and was being sold as a potted Christmas tree, I'm not 100% convinced that labeling is accurate. I kind of think it was probably delivered unintentionally by the grower to Home Depot since it was the only one of its kind there and it was sitting next to a couple of Eastern white pines in the same red nursery cans with the same red bow on top. It seems possible that a miscommunication could be the origin of the Pinus densiflora x nigra designation (i.e. nursery employee is out working in the field and asks their supervisor, "Hey, how should this pine here be labeled?". Supervisor says, "It's a Japanese red pine and black pine hybrid called 'Jane Kluis'". Supervisor meant Pinus densiflora x thunbergii, but employee writes down Pinus densiflora x nigra because it doesn't occur to them than the supervisor meant Japanese black pine.)
If you have one of these hybrids, I'm curious about your experiences with it. Specifically, I'm wondering about some of its characteristics pertaining to development as bonsai:
I just bought it this year and haven't had a chance to do any work on it. So, I'm wondering how I should work it when I finally get the chance to do something with it in the spring.
The one that I got was labeled as Pinus densiflora x nigra 'Jane Kluis', but since it was from a big box store, not a nursery, and was being sold as a potted Christmas tree, I'm not 100% convinced that labeling is accurate. I kind of think it was probably delivered unintentionally by the grower to Home Depot since it was the only one of its kind there and it was sitting next to a couple of Eastern white pines in the same red nursery cans with the same red bow on top. It seems possible that a miscommunication could be the origin of the Pinus densiflora x nigra designation (i.e. nursery employee is out working in the field and asks their supervisor, "Hey, how should this pine here be labeled?". Supervisor says, "It's a Japanese red pine and black pine hybrid called 'Jane Kluis'". Supervisor meant Pinus densiflora x thunbergii, but employee writes down Pinus densiflora x nigra because it doesn't occur to them than the supervisor meant Japanese black pine.)
If you have one of these hybrids, I'm curious about your experiences with it. Specifically, I'm wondering about some of its characteristics pertaining to development as bonsai:
- Is it a single flush or double flush pine? It seems to me that if it's a JRP x JBP hybrid then it would obviously be double flush. If it's actually JRP x Austrian black pine, it seems like it could go either way depending on how the genetic cross happened.
- Is it as brittle as a non-hybrid JRP or is it more bendy like a JBP? Or is it more like an Austrian black pine (and, if so, how bendy or brittle are those)?
I just bought it this year and haven't had a chance to do any work on it. So, I'm wondering how I should work it when I finally get the chance to do something with it in the spring.