Is this a standard maple

[wile_koyote]

Hi all, hoping someone can help me out. This was a cutting off of a garden tree, is this likely a standard green acer? Parent trunk was dark green/greyish

 

[penumbra]

It looks like a regular Acer palmatum, but truth is, it is whatever the parent tree is, as it is a cutting grown tree. Still, there is a lot of genetic variability.

 

[Ininaatigoons]

An unidentified cultivar is always an Acer Palmatum but, Bonsai is about aesthetics more than a name. With a name comes expectations of growth habits, colors, certain attributes. A name helps identify specifics, but In the end it's about what it looks like and does it captivate you and bring reward as an enthusiast. Could it do so with others. Does it evoke an awareness or feeling.

 

[Ben in Kzoo]

Leaf shape and color make me thing of green JM
The trunk color is different than I would expect though
Following

 

[Shibui]

Many standard JM have pinkish new shoots that change colour as they age. All seem to end up with mature grey bark. Leaves may open pink or reddish but gradually fade to green as they harden and mature later in spring.
As mentioned, any cutting has the exact same genetics as the parent so should end up looking and growing exactly the same as the tree it came from, allowing for cultivation and environmental differences affecting the growth.
'standard green acer' is a catch all term that covers a huge range of different genetics so there will always be differences in colours , shapes and sizes. I take it to mean it is an Acer palmatum of unknown provenance or seed grown.
'Red Japanese maple' covers any JM with reddish leaves of unknown provenance.

 

[dbonsaiw]

Identifying a tree as a JM is like identifying a person as a human. We are all humans, but all have our own genetic variations. JMs are basically the same. There are some JMs that are viewed as "special" for one reason or another and these get a cultivar name that is then patented. All trees with that cultivar name have the same exact genetics. Another tree may look like a specific cultivar, but isn't that cultivar unless its a cutting or airlayer from the parent tree. If we can't identify the JM as a cultivar, its just a JM with whatever features it has. Attached is a JM I purchased this winter that I was told was a plain vanilla JM. Once the leaves opened, it was clear the tree looks different than my other plain vanilla JMs, but to me its just a plain vanilla JM because I don't know its genetics.