Brady D
Sapling
I’m wanting either a Harland boxwood or a trident maple which one would be best for a beginner?
Trident maple vs Harland boxwood
- Thread starter Brady D
- Start date
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Both are good but I'd say it depends on what size the trees are you intend to start with.
Trident is hardy and fast growing. Easier to maintain and keep it alive. Suits larger bonsai much better. Autumn colour. Lot of info available on what to do when and how. trident will also give you more to do - trimming every few weeks through spring and summer.
Buxus harlandii is much slower to develop but if you're starting with a good trunk and plenty of branches you can get a nice bonsai almost instantly. Great bark and small leaves but grows so slow you'll probably only need to trim once, maybe twice a year then nothing more to do.
Trident is hardy and fast growing. Easier to maintain and keep it alive. Suits larger bonsai much better. Autumn colour. Lot of info available on what to do when and how. trident will also give you more to do - trimming every few weeks through spring and summer.
Buxus harlandii is much slower to develop but if you're starting with a good trunk and plenty of branches you can get a nice bonsai almost instantly. Great bark and small leaves but grows so slow you'll probably only need to trim once, maybe twice a year then nothing more to do.
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Its apples or oranges. They are quite different plants in almost all ways. Their care a development is very different. As suggested by Shibui, they are rather at extreme sides of the scale.
Do both. One is not better than the other, they are just very different.
Your Harlandi is classified as semi-tropical to temperate. It will require winter protection as I stated in your other post about Harlandi.
Do both. One is not better than the other, they are just very different.
Your Harlandi is classified as semi-tropical to temperate. It will require winter protection as I stated in your other post about Harlandi.
Ben in Kzoo
Yamadori
I’d suggest a trident for a beginner, seems for forgiving and more rewarding
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
I'd skip the Harland boxwood. It's not all that winter hardy in your area in a container. That complicates your care for it and will likely lead to frustration. It means you will have to find an inside (ish) area to keep it in the winter. Bringing it into the house for the winter will result in a weakened tree, spider mites and dead foliage. If you really want a boxwood, get a locally sourced temperate zone species. The boxwood sold at landscape nurseries or even Home Depot (buxus sempervirens, or Buxus Microphylla) are rock solid bonsai candidates that can take winters outside easily.
Boxwood can also be sourced from old landscaping as they transplant pretty easily. Local hedges and the like can turn up nice examples. The tall boxwood below --a buxus mycrophylla--Japanese boxwood--was dug out of a hedge 20 years ago and has been developed into bonsai.
Trident maples are extremely forgiving and easy to work on. They develop much, much more quickly than boxwood of any species.
Boxwood can also be sourced from old landscaping as they transplant pretty easily. Local hedges and the like can turn up nice examples. The tall boxwood below --a buxus mycrophylla--Japanese boxwood--was dug out of a hedge 20 years ago and has been developed into bonsai.
Trident maples are extremely forgiving and easy to work on. They develop much, much more quickly than boxwood of any species.
