Trunkless Pine Tree
 

I am trying to find out more about a pine tree that grew in my old
neighborhood in northern Virginia. The tree appears to have no trunk.
Overall, it was about 8 feet high and had rather crooked branches about
10 feet long and maybe 6 or 8 inches in diameter. It had silvery flaky
bark, medium-short needles and small (about 2" long and almost that
wide) pinecones. Anybody have a clue what species this might be?

Trunkless Pine Tree
 

Sounds like a Mugo pine and an old one at that. Also it sounds from
your description that at some point in its life, someone may have tried
to train it. They are pretty common here in Md.