American Red Maple? (swamp maple)

[Waltron]

I've tried and they can't take it.
Is this tree along 489? Or somewhere else?

right by snyder lake, kitty corner from the party store.

 

[Naomanos]

Swamp maple can work as bonsai, but you need to be aware of one thing in addition to the usual admonitions about leaf size. If your plan is to collect a large specimen it's going to rot out from the chop to the ground starting about year three. I am not aware of any way to stop this from happening. With that said, I've also seen some awesome large swamp maple bonsai that went with the flow and ended up making super nice hollow trunk specimens. Just be sure to plan for this eventuality.

Zach

I am probably just going to go from seed. I'm an EMT and drive all over Central Florida and have still yet to find one.

It seems like they grow fairly quickly and if I find that it is too slow I'll look some more in the wild.

 

[Zach Smith]

If growing from seed you should be able to avoid the rotting problem. Good luck!

 

[rockm]

The red maples in your area should all be leafed out fully by now. Look under the larger trees and you should be able to find an abundance of seedlings.

The "trilobum" variant of Acer rubrum(leaves pictured above) is the type that is supposed to more lend itself to bonsai.

I now live in SE PA and even up here I see both types with regularity.

This past fall, I found a young seedling with fire engine red leaves and a cherry red stem. I will be growing this out for bonsai purposes.

With many, many years of selective breeding and experience, I think Acer rubrum could be tamed into a species fully suitable for bonsai culture.

The cultivar (variety) of Acer Rubrum most useful for bonsai is acer rubrum "drummondii" AKA "Swamp Maple," "Drummond's Red Maple."
"Trident red maple" is no longer officially recognized.
http://www.loyno.edu/lucec/natural-...aples-acer-rubrum-var-drummondii-color-winter

Vaughn Banting used "Swamp maple" for this planting long ago--like in the late '70s. It has been in the National Arboretum's collection for some time now. It has smaller leaves than the main species. Note how high it is planted. Apparently it does NOT like to have its roots messed with much, which may be one reason why the leaves have reduced.

 

[lieuz]

Thanks @rockm for the insight!

 

[Timbo]

I can't have Japanese maples up here. It's too cold in winter.
I may try Amur maple again again but not red maple.
I would rather have Japanese maples over any others though.

Try Korean maple...suppose to live in zone 4...i have a few seedlings outside.
Growing more from seed.
Also shatung maple....doesn't need pretreatment.