can regular maple make good bonsai

[linlaoboo]

I think it's Acer Rubrum. The leaves on a tree is rather large and I'm not sure how well they can be reduced. Is it worth trying to air layer one and try? Thanks in advance.

 

[QuintinBonsai]

The leaves of Acer Rubrum (Red Maple) are too large, and may not ramify very well. The idea is to make the tree appear as it would look in the wild. The leaves would be out of proportion with the rest of the tree. I would stick with the smaller leaved varieties such as Tridents, Amurs, or the Japanese.

 

[daygan]

Acer Rubrum can be and is used as bonsai

There seem to be quite a few threads here about this subject. My quick conclusion from what I've read (and I haven't read through everything) is that the leaves are reduceable to an extent, and there may be some variation between individual trees. Most pertinent posts/threads (and there may be others) :

Acer Rubrum(Just Waking Up)

Root Over Ruin

Collected Acer Rubrum(s)

Red Maple - Some Autumn Color

rockm's posts here and here

Field grown rubrum...

Red Maple Collected Spring 2007

 

[Jay Wilson]

Red Maples definitely have some potential. I've been playing with some for a few years and have some that are coming along.

Here's one after a defoliation a couple of months ago. So so as a broom, but shows a bit of ramification with almost acceptable inter node length.

 

[Smoke]

Jay, that looks pretty damn nice to me. I don't have a problem with leaves being a little large as long as the caretaker is doing their best to do a good job and this is a fine job to me. Nice tree.

 

[Jay Wilson]

Thanks Smoke...Your opinion carries some weight with me.
I'm starting another thread with a few more pictures of this one and another.

 

[jk_lewis]

See: http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?7998-A-couple-of-Red-Maples-(Acer-Rubrum)

 

[linlaoboo]

There seem to be quite a few threads here about this subject. My quick conclusion from what I've read (and I haven't read through everything) is that the leaves are reduceable to an extent, and there may be some variation between individual trees. Most pertinent posts/threads (and there may be others) :

Acer Rubrum(Just Waking Up)

Root Over Ruin

Collected Acer Rubrum(s)

Red Maple - Some Autumn Color

rockm's posts here and here

Field grown rubrum...

Red Maple Collected Spring 2007

Will check them out thanks!

 

[linlaoboo]

Red Maples definitely have some potential. I've been playing with some for a few years and have some that are coming along.

Here's one after a defoliation a couple of months ago. So so as a broom, but shows a bit of ramification with almost acceptable inter node length.

Thanks Jay for such great info. Awsome work on the 2 trees. Not for nothing I'll be ok with just admiring the branch structure on this tree without leaves. If anything I'll try it as a medium sized bonsai instead of small size which I prefer.

 

[linlaoboo]

I'm a newbie to maples, have killed a couple JM starters over the winter so hopefully the native specie is hardier but I assume someone in FL can have more success developing it compared to my zone 6b. . . .