This is Walter Pall’s lead photo from a series he posted on FB. It’s a European Larch (Larix decidua) with guy wires and a checkered past. The pot by Derek Aspinall.
Walter’s sad news for Larches. Here’s what Walter Pall wrote about larches and climate change and about this particular larch: “European Larch #17 - The climate in Europe is definitely changing. In many parts European larches cannot be kept well where it was possible a few years ago. In Italy and even some parts of Germany bonsai folks are struggling with the summer heat which can be disastrous for our larch. Therefore a few really good larches are available for interested enthusiasts. I have the great luck that my garden is a bit cooler than most. So some larches recently found their way into my garden. This one has a great past - it was styled to look like a very good modern bonsai. I personally prefer it to look like a very good larch from the mountains.l So I started to naturalize the tree slightly after planting it into the new container by Derek Aspinall.”
More by Walter on the tree featured here. 65 centimeters is about 25 inches, BTW.
In an earlier stage and a different pot. You can tell it’s winter. Larches are one of a handful of deciduous conifers that grow on planet earth. We can only guess about other planets.
Another shot from an earlier stage and in yet another pot. If you compare this shot with the more recent one at the top, you’ll see the apex migrated a tad to the left in the top photo so that it’s directly over the center of the tree and the pot, while the apex here is bit off center to the right (more about this below).
Needing a haircut. Pot looks familiar.
Wired out to the tips.
A close up of a nebari that needs some help. If you look at the shot at the top of this post, you’ll see the improved nebari. Walter lowered the left side of the nebari and raised the right side. This changes the planting angle so the apex is just a little farther left. A definite improvement all around.
This shot is very similar to the one at the top. Just a different background and the foliage is a little more filled out.
