Most common Japanese Maples used in Bonsai

[remist17]

I am going to be purchasing some japanese maples and would like to see what the most common better suited maples are. My plans are for trees under 30" in height so they will not be extermely large.

What I found that I like:
-Kastsura
-Arakawa
-Deshojo
-Sharps Pygmy

Can you help me out and provide some more types that are bonsai suited?

Thanks

 

[Dav4]

I would suggest working with the species, Acer palmatum, first and foremost before diving into some of the cultivars. Some of the dwarf and semi dwarf cultivars are a bit more difficult to work with, where as regular old Japanese Maples will grow and respond to bonsai culture in a very predictable manner. That doesn't mean you shouldn't get any of the cultivars you've listed- I've seen them all used as bonsai subjects- but I might just plant them in the landscape for now and let them thicken up or use them for air layers in the future. The Arakawa, Katsura, and Deshojo on your list would probably behave most like regular palmatums, while the Sharps Pygmy is a dwarf and probably needs more experience to properly develop, prune, etc...My 2 cents.

 

[remist17]

Thank you for the post. I have some regular green maples and Tridents for several years. Since I have not killed them yet I thought I would try something new. What you said makes sense I will need to double think the purchase. I just found a nursery that seems to carry some larger stock that I can afford. Most of the maples sold from Bonsai nurseries are 2 or 3 times more expensive. I know that’s mostly due to the fact they are grown strictly for the bonsai industry and have no grafts. For someone on a limited budget its hard to secure a nice size maple.

Can you recomend any locations that sells Acer palmatum that are not seedlings?

 

[Dav4]

Finding descent stock can be daunting...your best bet would be to do the typical landscape nursery crawl this upcoming spring. Fwiw, palmatums grow quickly in the ground, so I wouldn't discount seedlings or cuttings. The tree pictured above was a cutting I struck probably 14-15 years ago. It grew out in my yard for maybe 8 or 9 years and has been containerized since. The base is at least as wide and tall as a can of coke.

 

[Jason_mazzy]

Keep an eye out for kotohime and kiyohime

 

[Stan Kengai]

Brent at Evergreen Garden Works has some 1 gallon small leaf/seed A. p. Species (his number 501), which have some nice movement in them. They act just like the species, since they are, only smaller in stature and leaf.

 

[CHUCHIN]

I am going to be purchasing some japanese maples and would like to see what the most common better suited maples are. My plans are for trees under 30" in height so they will not be extermely large.

What I found that I like:
-Kastsura
-Arakawa
-Deshojo
-Sharps Pygmy

Can you help me out and provide some more types that are bonsai suited?

Thanks

Some good choices are kiyohime , kotohime , yurihime, kamagata, murasaki kiyohime. In Japan some of the better examples come from just mountain maples...momijii.

You want tight internode robust growth...

 

[Don Blackmond]

2 of my favorites

katsura are some of the most beautiful in spring and fall.

Murasaki kiyohime are dwarf and make great brooms.

 

[Eric Group]

I am going to be purchasing some japanese maples and would like to see what the most common better suited maples are. My plans are for trees under 30" in height so they will not be extermely large.

What I found that I like:
-Kastsura
-Arakawa
-Deshojo
-Sharps Pygmy

Can you help me out and provide some more types that are bonsai suited?

Thanks

Personally I love the way Arakawa and Desojo look. I only really own Palmatum though- I do have a Bloodgood cutting and a few different varieties of seed I plan to grow this coming year- some Bloodgood and some Deshojo I think...

I have seen some gorgeous bonsai created from Bloodgood, but they don't seem to be one of the most popular or described as the easiest species to work with...

Something to watch out for when buying the varied cultivars is grafts. Most non-bonsai nurseries graft the lace leaf and red leaf varieties onto Palmatum roots because the Palmatums are supposed to be the heartiest and easiest to care for.

That is why people recommend you grow them first, get used to keeping them happy because if you can't keep Palmatum happy, you don't have a good chance of keeping something like an Arakawa one Deshojo happy. (That is the common conception it seems anyway)

 

[seth ellwood]

I am currently working with sharps pigmy, fireglow, sangu kaku, have had butterfly, beni okame,Koto hime,kiyo hime.

 

[remist17]

Thank you all. Im going to get one from Brent and see how it goes. Maybe ill get a specialty one and put it the ground. Great suggestions thanks

 

[garywood]

Remist, there is probably more genetic variability in JM's than any other temperate climate tree we work with. If you go with the species, look for short internode, short petiole, smaller leaf, fine twigging, fine buds and bark characteristics. Some have green bark for a LONG time. Of the ones listed, all are great for bonsai but the Sharps Pygmy has growth habits that will keep you on your toes There's one way to learn JM's and that's to do them. Have fun.

 

[Eric Group]

I think Gary summed it ups ell.. Probably the best question would be is there a list of JM species to AVOID for Bonsai? I don't know of any...

The Lace Leaf varieties are probably the most... "Squeamish" but can make beautiful trees when done correctly.

There really isn't a bad choice I know of when it comes to Japanese Maples- they are probably my favorite species of tree- For Bonsai or just for landscapes.

 

[cmeg1]

I can't wait till' spring when all the nursery's open,I want to scour them for JM nursery trees.I love making air layers from them.

 

[lordy]

I've grown several nice red maple from seed that my neighbor's tree drops annually. They grow fairly quickly and the red foliage is neat.
I also have a Sharp's Pygmy as well as a kotohime. Talk about slow growers. The kotohime has been in development for at least 7 years, and MIGHT be 5/8-3/4" caliper. Extremely brittle as well. I have landscape laceleaf that I prune with my fingers, but the kotohime will snap if you walk past it too quickly...Kidding, but you get my point.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Some good choices are kiyohime , kotohime , yurihime, kamagata, murasaki kiyohime. In Japan some of the better examples come from just mountain maples...momijii.

You want tight internode robust growth...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that momiji is simply Acer palmatum or any of its cultivars.

 

[CHUCHIN]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that momiji is simply Acer palmatum or any of its cultivars.

Yes you are correct

 

[remist17]

Ok good ideas. My local nursery always brings maples in to early and they get hit with frost. I can get a good size tree for 10 dollars. I have a few in the yard this way but never thought if it.

 

[GrimLore]

Many here have done really nice work with them and they grow nicely in our area. This is a short read with good pictures of progress http://www.bonsai4me.com/AdvTech/ATAcer palmatum Japanese Maple Bonsai.html .

Grimmy