New to bonsai- looking for any recommendations for good North American maples species?

[Mike Westervelt]

Red maple is also hardy to zone 3 and a native species. They have shortcomings for bonsai but there are some great ones out there:

Leafless Red Maple

This is the same tree as was featured in the previous post. I took that picture in leaf, then took a trip, and when I came back it was completely bare. Here’s a winter silhouette, and, since …

crataegus.com

Whenever someone says Acer Rubrum won't work for bonsai I think of this tree, it looks big in pictures but actually quite diminutive, maybe 12"-14"

That being said, it was completely container grown it's entire life which started around 1990 as a seedling!

 

[SilentMouse]

That is SO beautiful . Yea, I've seen some people say rubrum is decent, and again others say its not worth the effort. Defiantly looks like that one worked out wonderfully.

 

[Meh]

That is SO beautiful . Yea, I've seen some people say rubrum is decent, and again others say its not worth the effort. Defiantly looks like that one worked out wonderfully.

Yeah, ginalla is the better bet. But for natives rubrum is worth consideration.

 

[Meh]

Whenever someone says Acer Rubrum won't work for bonsai I think of this tree, it looks big in pictures but actually quite diminutive, maybe 12"-14"

That being said, it was completely container grown it's entire life which started around 1990 as a seedling!

Right. That is a relatively short time from seedling to that spectacular image from 2011. The original creator must have been very skilled (obviously Michael has continued to improve it).

 

[SilentMouse]

Thats what I am gathering. I think maybe working with both could be a good bet, and one of them will hopefully turn out well in however many years while I have the fairly solid guarantee a bad winter will kill them off.

 

[GGB]

I had Amur maple seeds sprout early on me this winter. They were .5 to 1” tall and survived temps as low as 12 degrees without flinching. For a tree that’s whatever, and as far as cold goes 12 degrees is nothing. BUT THEY WERE FRESHLY SPROUTED SEEDLINGS! WHAT!?

 

[Orion_metalhead]

My understanding is that most maple species have leaves which will, with time, reduce some. Ive noticed small leaves on numerous native varieties.

As for hardiness, red maple, amur maple, and silver maple will do well with only very basic winter protection. Im 7a, so a bit warmer, but in winter routinely get into the single digits.

I think the key with big leafed maple species is to get them into a pot asap. I see a lot of people saying internodes too spaced, or leaves dont reduce, or petioles too long... but they are working with large collected trees with huge amounts of stored energy. Its about slow methodical control on these species.

At the very least, being new to bonsai, working with species like red maple and silver maple will build up basic care and knowledge on a free or cheap tree (or trees - get a million of them and go to town) instead of investing in an expensive trident or japanese maple without any experience.

You can try building a cold frame if you have space. That could be a solution to winter storage woes if you really want to work with japanese maples in your area.

 

[GreatLakesBrad]

Grand Rapids here. Have several varieties of JM that have survived well for my 3+ years invested in bonsai.

Also have an Amur maple purchased at the bonsai show last year - from that I’ve been able to get 12-13 cuttings to take last summer. Amur need limited/no protection here given their roots in Siberia.

As far as Trident goes... 3 trees acquired randomly on Facebook marketplace from a guy down in Fort Wayne, IN. 5-6 cuttings from those trees.

Trident appear somewhat impacted by our winter - when in the ground - 2 of my three are in the ground and lost a couple branches last winter with a shock freeze in November.

JM are insulated and protected from wind, but left outside. No problems in 3 years.

Trident in a pot needed my unheated garage and no issues one year in.

Working on finding rubrum as I’d love a true native maple. Sugar, silver and autumn blaze all playing with volunteers.

Just sharing my experiences since you are close!

If you are ever near GR, I’d be happy to make a trade or even donate you a cutting or two to get some material started! Good luck.

 

[SilentMouse]

I do actually plan on working with some silver maple seeds. Maybe not a ton, but some. If nothing they will teach me some basic care. Also I did actually manage to find a place close to me offering some Amur maple seeds. If I can find a cheap enough japanese maple, I'll give it a shot because the verdict on how tolerant they are to freezing temps seems to be anything from they won't make it, to they will do great. So I'll keep a look out .

Thank you all so much for your imput! I'll be keeping everyone here posted!

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Problem with maples is that really only a handful have the "right growth pattern" for bonsai, and most of those are from mild temperate to subtropical climates.

Acer palmatum - obviously is one of the best, if you can work out winter protection appropriate for your climate. They are hardy in the ground in my area, but in a pot they are touchy. One problem I have is they break dormancy rapidly during our late winter thaws, often to suffer then when weather "returns to normal". Late freezes are a major problem. I'm speaking from zone 5b where my home is. Our farm is not far from Brad-GR, and is in 6a, have not tried Acer palmatum there yet.

Acer buergerianum - Trident maple. Not reliable in zone 5b. Needs protection. Again, rapidly breaks dormancy during late winter thaws, can be hurt by late frosts.

Acer pseudosieboldianum - Korean maple - This looks very similar to Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, but is supposed to be quite a bit more winter hardy. Hardy at least through zone 5, possibly into zone 4. The difficulty with this species is sourcing seedlings and or viable seed. Not common in North America. There are some named grafted varieties, but again, for bonsai we prefer to avoid grafts. I have no hands on experience, this is "merely" internet knowledge. Be suspect of ebay sources of seed, notorious for selling mis-labeled seed. Buy seed only from a "brick and mortar" seller, with an address you can find on a map.

Acer sieboldianum, Acer japonicum, Acer shirasawanum, all three are from interior mainland Japan, possibly more winter hardy than Acer palmatum, but not as winter hardy as pseudosieboldianum. I have no hands on experience with these, Again this is "internet knowledge".,

Davidsan's maples - near Springfield Illinois, they have been "testing" maples grown in the ground in the midwest. They only sell grafted maples, but they will give you a good idea which cultivars of Japanese maples are more hardy than others. They also list named cultivars of the less common species of Japanese maples. I met "David" before he passed away. His wife and daughter have continued the business. They are "good people". Again, all their trees are grafted, so I am not recommending them for bonsai purchases, but they sure do know their maples.

All Products - Davidsans Japanese Maples

 

[SilentMouse]

Thank you so much for that information!

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

(Acer circinatum ) Known in the Pacific Northwest as Vine Maple! The challenge is getting the leaves smaller over time! Coastal small tree up to 7 metres in nature! Outstanding characteristic is fire engine red leaves in the fall!
This is one of those species that needs to be discovered and used more often to determine just how good it can be! Often confused with (Acer Glabrum ) known as Douglas Maple that has smaller leaves but lack the fall red colour.
Would recommend as a challenge, rather than one definitely suited with small leaves and well documented care guides!
Definitely a candidate for medium to large styling!

If you are set on native I definitely concur on Acer Cicinatum. Vine Maple are very hardy and attractive. Here's a photo of a couple little guys.
Also if you want something pretty bulletproof as far as cold, and indifferent to light and nasty weather conditions, you might check out Acer glabrum, the Rocky Mountain Maple. They are a primary browse food source for many four legged critters and would think a severe hedge pruning was a good day in the mountains! Acer glabrum are brilliantly red in the fall.
I do really like the vine maple...
Cheers
DSD sends

 

[SilentMouse]

Several have mentioned vine maples . Defiantly will be looking into it!