Here's what Todd Schlafer wrote about this tree and the one just below..."A couple of intense Ponderosa Pine repots. Collected and owned by @backcountrydan and designed by @bonsaimirai. My job was to get them into their first Bonsai containers"

I've got a soft spot for Ponderosa pines. Not only are they among the world's most powerful towering trees, but their bark is distinct and beautiful. Unfortunately, the bark on bonsai tends to be less dramatic than on full sized trees (see below). Still the bark on these two is impressively aged and the bonsai themselves are outstanding

I borrowed the bonsai photos and quote from Todd Schlafer's fb timeline. The other two photos are courtesy of Wikipedia

A lone towering Ponderosa. Maybe it's safer by itself. Mountain pine beetles are ravaging Ponderosas in much of their habitat. The culprit is climate change

The distinctive bark makes Ponderosa easy to identify