Greenfields

Sapling
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Hi all! There is a large maple I am in the process of buying with the plans of creating a very large bonsai but myself and the nursery I’m getting it from are not 100% sure what type it is. The leaves are those of the paper bark and there are areas where it is flakey and coming off but the colour of the bark is grey and I can’t seem to find any photos on the internet of paper bark gray in colour.
Hope you can help

thanks

sean2E1BAE9A-4CF2-4E13-BF4B-816F164F616D.jpeg
 

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Greenfields

Sapling
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Age, genetics, environmental factors.
Possibly it’s still young enough not to have proper start shedding? Upon closer inspection of the photo of the trunk you can see the brown bark underneath so hopefully it will start peeling off soon and looking beautiful

thanks
 

Cruiser

Chumono
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As far as I know, the only compound leaf maples are the paperbark and box elder. I agree that looks like the paperbark. Could we get a close up shot of the buds? That would help confirm that it is.
 

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Greenfields

Sapling
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As far as I know, the only compound leaf maples are the paperbark and box elder. I agree that looks like the paperbark. Could we get a close up shot of the buds? That would help confirm that it is.
Hello, this is the best photos of buds I can get right now. Hope it helps
 

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Shohin
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Could it be one of the other compound-leaved maples? Maybe Acer cissifolium?
 

Cruiser

Chumono
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Could it be one of the other compound-leaved maples? Maybe Acer cissifolium?
That’s a new one to me. A quick search shows that cissifolium has grey bark, but it’s smooth. OPs tree appears to have exfoliating bark. Also the buds look different..

Other than box elder, paperbark, and cissifolium, what other compound leaf maples exist?
 
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Box elder maple bark. Even very young paper bark maples have exfoliating bark, at least the ones I've seen.Acer_negundo_bark.jpg
 

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Shohin
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That’s a new one to me. A quick search shows that cissifolium has grey bark, but it’s smooth. OPs tree appears to have exfoliating bark. Also the buds look different..

Other than box elder, paperbark, and cissifolium, what other compound leaf maples exist?
Haha, I googled it right before posting because I wasn't sure myself. I think the others besides Acer griseum are pretty obscure.

Acer triflorum (could be this one on second thought, bark is a little different from griseum)
Acer mandshuricum (wrong leaf shape? too slender)
Acer henryi (also wrong leaf shape)
 

Cruiser

Chumono
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Ha I also googled it. Apprently they’re easier to find if you search for “trifoliate” maple instead of “compound-leaf”. They all seem to be of Asian origin. I agree that none of these more obscure species seem to fit the bill.
The bark on OPs maple does stand out for an acer griseum. I couldn’t find any photos of the species with bark like that. Perhaps the ones we’re used to seeing have been bred to showcase the red bark and wild specimens have the grey bark.
 

NaoTK

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Just want to say that paperbark maple are a very challenging bonsai species. A few threads here full of gripes.
 
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