What type of maple?

Vance Wood

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About the only native North American Maple reasonably suitable for bonsai is the Hedge Maple, this is not that. I am not sure which species it is but in the end you will probably consider your work with it like trying to domesticate a Zebra; looks like a horse but has its own mind, such is the case with native Maples.
 

Hisaoka

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Thanks. I didn't think it was too great, but I have tons of different maple species all around, and these seedlings just popping up everywhere. I saw a few that looked like trident, but really tiny still. I also have tons of Japanese maple seedlings, the whole neighborhood has mature Japanese maples (must have been a fad back in the 50's or 60's) I know they don't seed true to the parent tree, but I have seen a few seedlings with nice leaf structure, the 5 "fingered" Japanese maple. I think I'll leave them be in the ground and let them grow for a few years...if the dog doesn't step on them...
 

AlainK

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To me, it looks like a Norway maple (Acer platanoides).

the leaves are small enough on young trees, but the older the tree is, the larger the leaves and they are not so easy to reduce.

Yet I have seen beautiful specimens of N. maple treated as mid-size to large bonsai.

I'd rather keep this one in a large pot, or a grow box, than put it into the ground so that the internodes are not too long. That is, if you are patient enough to spend years trying to make something out of it.

The fashion these days is more like taking huge trees from the wild and styling them with lots of dead wood, but the "old school" has its rewards, and its fans too ;)
 

JasonG

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Can anyone tell me what type of maple this is and if it's any good for bonsai?
unknown maple
I think it might be a sugar maple?? I see you too are from Oregon and if this is one of our native maples it will have a huge leaf and not suitable for bonsai. The only maple that we have suitable is the vine maple. They are only native to the PNW and are excellent material for bonsai. Fall color is second to none!


About the only native North American Maple reasonably suitable for bonsai is the Hedge Maple, this is not that. I am not sure which species it is but in the end you will probably consider your work with it like trying to domesticate a Zebra; looks like a horse but has its own mind, such is the case with native Maples.

Hi Vance,
Where does the hedge maple grow native in America? I ask because you see very good collected HM in Europe. If we have them growing here then I wonder why they aren't getting the attention they deserve. I have some big field grown HM and I love them.

THanks!

Jason
 

Klytus

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The leaves look atypical of the field maple hereabouts,Sugar maple perhaps?

The thing i find with field maples planted outside of the hedgerows is the bark,it always looks familiar somehow.

Maybe because i am familiar with it or maybe this familiarity is a feature of it's fissures,i cannot say for sure.
 
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Vance Wood

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I think it might be a sugar maple?? I see you too are from Oregon and if this is one of our native maples it will have a huge leaf and not suitable for bonsai. The only maple that we have suitable is the vine maple. They are only native to the PNW and are excellent material for bonsai. Fall color is second to none!




Hi Vance,
Where does the hedge maple grow native in America? I ask because you see very good collected HM in Europe. If we have them growing here then I wonder why they aren't getting the attention they deserve. I have some big field grown HM and I love them.

THanks!

Jason

I mis-spoke myself, I was indeed refering to the Vine Maple, not the hedge Maple.
 
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