Acer rubrum (swamp maple) - a big head-start

[Joe Dupre']

I know...... not a great candidate for bonsai. But this thing was BEGGING to be a bonsai. I collected it from the side of the road and it apparently had been mowed over some time in it's life and now has branches everywhere. A little less than 6 feet tall with a 3 and 1/2" base. The nebari is basically two huge roots but that is a pretty normal thing for the species. It won't be a classic bonsai for sure. I planted it in the ground in my bonsai garden as specimen planting. I'll continue to prune it back and see what I can do with it. If it leafs out and gives me beautiful fall colors, I'll consider myself very lucky.

 

[Zach Smith]

Good luck, Joe. It'll be interesting to see how it does a few years from now. That's when the large collected specimens start dying off from the chops. Maybe planting in the ground will help the tree to overcome this issue.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Zach, what about sealing up the cuts? Do they still rot out if the cuts are sealed from the elements? I'm thinking wood glue or ???

 

[Alexmacrophyllum]

Super rad. Look forward to seeing this tree leaf out

 

[Joe Dupre']

Alex, if it leafs out and I just leave it in the ground, it would be worth it to me. Personally, I'm not looking for a 25 or 50 year tree. If I can get some enjoyment from a tree for a few years, I think it's worth it. I've spent more in time and money and got less in my life. Actually, I've gotten more than my share from this tree by finding it, collecting it, pruning it and thinking about what it may grow to be. Anything else is just gravy.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Zach, I plan on this being a pretty big tree............ with some pruning, I envision it being about the total height it is now. Have you had 1" to 1 and 1/2" branch cuts die back? I sealed the cuts with yellow wood glue. That worked exceptionally well on a big hawthorn with a large scar that goes from 1" above to 1" below the soil line.

 

[GGB]

I would've done the same thing. The fall color on those guys are top notch. Plus if it does develop into anything, the roots can be improved by layering or grafting. worst case you lose a free tree that cost you zero soil. Actually .. .worst case scenario it just becomes a cool landscape feature in your bonsai garden

 

[RobertB]

Does anyone know how well these pop buds on old wood when cut back really hard. I cut mine back really hard a week ago and am just crossing my fingers. Nothing special about the tree. Its a nursery find that ive had for a few years getting healthy before the chop.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Robert, around here the road crews cut them back with a vengeance and they normally sprout back out in a big spray of foliage. But that is with a fully formed, established root ball. I went to dig a couple of "small" bushes only to find a leg-sized trunk at ground level. One more observation. Around here they grow around or in the water. I never remember seeing many to speak of on land that never floods during the year. Trying to grow one in well-drained bonsai soil might be counter-productive.

 

[RobertB]

I just water the snot out of mine. Thought about planting like a cypress and flooding

 

[leatherback]

Cool man. Why is this not good for bonsai?

 

[Joe Dupre']

Leatherback, from what I've read, the internodes tend to be long and the branches long and spindly and then there is the branch and trunk dieback. Internode length can be partially addressed by attention to proper timing for pruning. Branch and trunk dieback leads to an exciting artistic phenomenon known as spontaneous design change.

 

[leatherback]

an exciting artistic phenomenon known as spontaneous design change

Gotta clean my monitor now. Coffee dripping..
Thanks.

 

[BobbyLane]

I had this one on my drive, its by Arthur joura

 

[Joe Dupre']

I had this one on my drive, its by Arthur joura

Oh, I think I could live with a little die back like that. Yessiree, I think I could.

 

[Mike Hennigan]

Any updates on this one?

 

[Joe Dupre']

She's looking a bit ratty at this time of the year. Leaves are coming out of a really hot summer and haven't yet put on fall colors. The tree fully leafed out and is healthy. I cut off a couple of the bigger branches and am lowering the height slowly. I haven't decided if I'll pot it up this spring or let it stay in the ground another year. I'll get a pic tomorrow. I chopped back two more of about the same size on the roadside where I collect. They both flushed out with crazy growth, BUT the road crews came along and sprayed herbicide and knocked them for a loop. They did spring back after a month , though. I may pot up one of them this spring.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Here it is in all it's rattyness. They are mostly understory trees here and suffered leaf burn. In late spring it really looked full but suffered through our 90+ degree days. I think I'll leave it in the ground for another year or two.