Need general info about a maple

[carobone]

Hello, stopped by a nursery earlier today and saw a "Bloodwood Maple" on sale but I don't know whether this particular cultivar would make a good bonsai. Does anyone have any knowledge to share? Sorry I did not take a picture of it, will come back later and will post update with picture

Thanks and happy 4th

 

[Martin Sweeney]

Carobone,

Happy 4th back at ya!

Bloodgood isn't a particularly good Japanese Maple for bonsai, unless it is really big. I say this because for bonsai use it has large leaves that don't reduce well and long internodes that are also hard to shorten (whether by pinching, trimming, pruning, hedging, defoliating, leaf reduction or any combination of all the above, or various interpretation of what they may actually mean or what the actual technique really is). Since it has large leaves and long internodes, a large trunk and strong root base helps by bringing them sort of into scale. There are better Japanese Maple candidates, including just the plain old species, that I would use before trying a Bloodgood.

Regards,
Martin

 

[carobone]

Thanks, Martin, here is a picture of the leaves, they are about the size of a dime (very small). The trunk of the tree is 4" across which is what makes it appealing

 

[Dav4]

That is definitely not Acer palmatum "Bloodgood"
http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG...=image&fr=yfp-t-900-1-s&va=palmatum+bloodgood

Your picture seems to show a variegated palmatum cultivar....

 

[0soyoung]

Thanks, Martin, here is a picture of the leaves, they are about the size of a dime (very small). The trunk of the tree is 4" across which is what makes it appealing

This isn't a bloodanything. I would hazzard the guess that it is a 'butterfly' JM. Despite its delicate appearance, 'butterfly' is quite rugged and does best in full sun. Its growth habit is twiggy, so it's not all that bad as a bonsai subject. IMHO, if you like it buy it and have some fun!