I have been collecting yamadori in Texas, for the Ashe Juniper, in the Austin area and though it is a difficult one to transplant due to the nature of the soil in which it grows, sprawling roots and rather brittle roots, thus requiring a larger than normally collected amount of accompanying original soil, the survival rate has been pretty good. The Ashe Juniper were collected on private property with permission and assistance from owner. We have also collected from Gila National Forest in S. W. New Mexico, after obtaining the requisite 'transplant' permits, which by the way are really easy to obtain from National Forests, generally, and very reasonable in price. We collected the brachyptera subspecies of the Ponderosa Pine due to our desire to find a subspecies that would be more conducive to a warmer climate like we have here in Knoxville. The gist of all this is that Yamadori collecting and successful transplant survival is not that difficult if one does one's research, gets permission and permits, respects the environment and most importantly respects and honors the trees. Researching the species and subspecies you want to collect is extremely important. I personally have been reaching out to more experienced bonsai enthusiasts to ask hard questions on each species I am interested in, for example I did that regarding the Ashe Juniper.
