Red Maple

[BonsaiEngineer1493]

It arrived last week from Florida. Jay Wilson was selling his entire collection, luckily I was able to snatch this red maple. What sparked my interest was a red maple from the Brooklyn botanical garden collection. I was so fascinated by its natural appearance. I was browsing around looking for answers to why are red maples not widely practiced on in the US? -they are our native trees. Usually the answers are that they are difficult to deal with and trident and Japanese maples simply over shadow red maples. It would be interesting to hear what you guys think. Anyways, here are the pictures.

Nick

P.S Judy helped me pick this one out

 

[BonsaiEngineer1493]

Here is the red maple from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

 

[Martin Sweeney]

BE1493,

I purchased one of Jay's Willow Oaks. While I am happy with the purchase and the tree I am sad that Jay decided to sell. I don't know why he did, but he has a wonderful aesthetic as can be seen in your tree.

As I am sure you know, be careful with that tree this winter. While the Red Maple that grows natively around New York are very winter hardy, my understanding is that Florida Red Maple is not as hardy. I think it might even be a sub-specie due to hardiness.

Anyway, enjoy that tree.

Regards,
Martin

 

[coh]

I bought one of his willow oaks as well. Nice tree and extremely well packed. Am looking at one of the remaining red maples but I don't know much about them as bonsai, so looking forward to seeing what people have to say.

Chris

 

[BonsaiEngineer1493]

Martin, you do have a point. I actually did email Jay this week about my weather concern. I will figure something out. I was curious about these red maples growing in Florida. I was only familiar with the northern red maples so I will be interested if someone can throw out some info.

 

[coh]

My plan with the willow oak (and I'm further north than you, Rochester area) is to keep it just above freezing this winter. I'm fortunate to have a semi-heated area that maintains mid 30s to low 40s most of the winter. I would do that with any tree that came from a warm climate late in the year. Not sure about future winters, but that might be the best plan going forward.

Chris

 

[Cadillactaste]

Pretty sweet tree! That was mighty nice of Judy to help you choose. I would have to say...she did an amazing job helping you. Love it!

 

[KennedyMarx]

I like the trunks. It reminds me of something Walter Pall might work with, growing it out and hedging it back repeatedly to get ramification.

 

[sorce]

Shame on you when you step to, to the Old Dirty Bastard,

BROOKLYN. .....botanical garden? Lol

I love the trunks on this thing.

Careful for winter.

Sorce

 

[JudyB]

I'm glad for you that you snagged this one. Perhaps a heat mat in a garage setting would be the route to go. Or maybe just a garage. Time to look for a suitable pot! Jay really had a knack for building interesting material, I'm sad to see him go, but it's nice that he was able to sell to members here and at such nice prices too.

 

[BonsaiEngineer1493]

My plan with the willow oak (and I'm further north than you, Rochester area) is to keep it just above freezing this winter. I'm fortunate to have a semi-heated area that maintains mid 30s to low 40s most of the winter. I would do that with any tree that came from a warm climate late in the year. Not sure about future winters, but that might be the best plan going forward.

Chris

Sounds like a plan! I will probably do the same. However, the lowest my garage will go down to is 45-47. I will certainly bring it down to the garage when its 32 or below.

Pretty sweet tree! That was mighty nice of Judy to help you choose. I would have to say...she did an amazing job helping you. Love it!

Thanks, she is wonderful!

I like the trunks. It reminds me of something Walter Pall might work with, growing it out and hedging it back repeatedly to get ramification.

Thanks! the red maple at bbg is being approached in that manner.

Shame on you when you step to, to the Old Dirty Bastard,

BROOKLYN. .....botanical garden? Lol

I love the trunks on this thing.

Careful for winter.

Sorce

Thanks Sorce, first time seeing you on Bnut.

I'm glad for you that you snagged this one. Perhaps a heat mat in a garage setting would be the route to go. Or maybe just a garage. Time to look for a suitable pot! Jay really had a knack for building interesting material, I'm sad to see him go, but it's nice that he was able to sell to members here and at such nice prices too.

Your right about that, I was really impressed with his work when I browsed around his threads. I will definitely keep it in great care and take the tree to new heights. A shallow oval pot would be nice I suppose.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Nice tree. Jay has some nice native material, and I hope all is well with him.

I would place a high priority on closing up that uro at the base. In spring, carve the deadwood smooth, expose the cambium around the wound, and use cut paste. Kathy Shaner once recommended placing a wet towel over the wound starting in the spring too, to keep the area humid and encouraging rapid callus growth.

 

[FromSeed]

Agreed, on Jay's Reds. I purchased one not too long ago and the material is excellent. A little reverse taper, but with Rubrums its hard to keep that in check. I second the notion on overwintering this in a sheltered location. Wind and cold will desiccate that tree faster than you think.

 

[BonsaiEngineer1493]

Brian, why is closing the uro high priority?

 

[edprocoat]

Florida gets freezing weather for several days most winters. Sometimes it lasts a week or so with temps getting down into the upper 20's at night. I would assume this tree would be hardy with proper protection unless you were talking consistent temps in the teens.

BTW I would think closing the uro would be to prevent it from rotting out.

ed

 

[Eric Group]

Many reasons people seem to shy away from them from what I have heard and read:

1- large leaves.
2- the leaf size is something you can overcome, but the coarse growth/ thick twigs reduces the effects of ramification basically as it is tough to get a fine ramified spread of branches..
3- long internodes. Those three things seem inherent to the species, regardless of variety and are not really something you can change that much. You can reduce leaf size and internode distance by proper technique, but the coarse growth will always be an issue. They are only going to make larger Bonsai that seem to scale...

4- people say they drop branches.. Could be the cold hardiness concern people mention..

I own a BUNCH of these Red Maples now, but most I have only had one or two years...

 

[BonsaiEngineer1493]

Many reasons people seem to shy away from them from what I have heard and read:

1- large leaves.
2- the leaf size is something you can overcome, but the coarse growth/ thick twigs reduces the effects of ramification basically as it is tough to get a fine ramified spread of branches..
3- long internodes. Those three things seem inherent to the species, regardless of variety and are not really something you can change that much. You can reduce leaf size and internode distance by proper technique, but the coarse growth will always be an issue. They are only going to make larger Bonsai that seem to scale...

4- people say they dork branches.. Could be the cold hardiness concern people mention..

I own a BUNCH of these Red Maples now, but most I have only had one or two years...

Thanks! a very good explanation. Someone also mentioned that some red maples growing in Florida are Acer Rubrum trilobum, which is a different variety. I am curious to find out if mine is that variety. I'm excited to see some of your red maples.

 

[stosh]

Here is the red maple from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

Beautiful maple.....I haven't been to the Brookyln Botanical Gardens in ages.

 

[jk_lewis]

Here is trilobum. I grow mostly tiny trees, and it is the only A. rubrum I know of that allows this. These are from seeds of a larger A. rubrum that grew next to our home in Tallahassee. Trilobum is known only from northernmost Florida far southern Georgia and southern Alabama