Flowering maple / Indian Mallow

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Hackettstown, NJ
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Anyone ever work with these guys? When I bought it in May this year, it was a very tall thin stick:

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So I chopped it at about a foot, then chopped the top into two pieces and popped them in a pot. All three are now thriving! The original trunk has noticeably thickened and there is a ton of new branching.

I'm thinking I'll let them all grow until at least next season before doing anything else, but am wondering if it could make a fun little bonsai. It's certainly a vigorous grower.

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Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
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on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
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Never had any get past the slender stick phase. They need consistent water, and I am not consistent. Longest I've kept one going is 3 years. Hibiscus have better or more sturdy wood. In three years these still seemed to have "herb" like trunks rather than wood.

But they do have a look that one would think that they could be bonsai.
 
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Location
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So many flowers getting ready to open! I have this vision of doing a forest planting with them and blooms everywhere like so many Chinese lanterns.

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Decided to repot the two cuttings today. Here we are in progress (50/50 lava rock/potting soil). Lots of good roots!
image-20180914_103215.jpg

This is the original apex:
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The middle part:
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The original base:
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And a closeup of the trunk:
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