Tanuki

TuckerBesosa

Seedling
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hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone has ever tanuki a maple before. Im pretty new to this so any help is welcome and greatly appreciated.
 

DonovanC

Chumono
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Serendipitous lol. I was just thinking today about making a ficus “tanuki” to represent a tree that had succumbed to a strangler fig. But ultimately my idea would be... root-over-deadwood... 🤔
I’ve personally never seen anything other than a conifer - usually juniper - as a tanuki. Interested to see what others say.
 

just.wing.it

Deadwood Head
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Maple trees don't create the kind of deadwood required for a reasonable Tanuki.
In my opinion, its only doable with Juniper or maybe Taxus.
Anything deciduous would just be unconvincing and weird.
Maples rot and make Uro features....😎
 
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You could try a trident maple, they will bond to foreign objects. I would not try this myself, but if you want to, go for it. If you are using a long-lasting softwood for the dead tree like juniper or yew, it should work. People have done plenty of trident fusion projects, start by looking those up.
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
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Amen to fusion project. It's "the fast lane" for a Maple.

Tanuki in Latin means Ridiculous.

Sorce
 

Mimstrel

Sapling
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Just purchased some back issues of Bonsai: The Journal of the American Bonsai Society, and in the Spring 1993 edition, there is a picture of a "Japanese maple, Acer palmatum var. Sako Kaka" which is described using the term "phoenix graft" rather than tanuki. The deadwood used is from "a shrub which was growing in his garden," ie, not maple wood. I find the idea intriguing and may try it at some point in the future. If well done, the results are beautiful in their own right.
 
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