Acer grandidentatum – Rocky Mountain Big Tooth Maple

[Lost2301]

I styled my first Acer grandidentatum – Rocky Mountain Big Tooth Maple. Its a nursery tree with a trunk about the size of a beer can. I made a new page on my website for it. I think this is going to be a great tree in time. Any thoughts?

 

[BobbyLane]

what about the nebari?

 

[Lost2301]

what about the nebari?

No idea yet.

 

[Colorado]

Awesome! I’ve come across your website multiple times, glad to see it’s proprietor posting here on BNut! I almost picked up one of these a couple weeks ago at Wilmore Nursery in Littleton. But the leaves were huge so I opted for an Amur instead.

Looks like they reduce quite well! I’m going to go back and get one now

 

[GGB]

Never even heard of this species. On first glance it seems workable. Excited to see what happens

 

[Lost2301]

Awesome! I’ve come across your website multiple times, glad to see it’s proprietor posting here on BNut! I almost picked up one of these a couple weeks ago at Wilmore Nursery in Littleton. But the leaves were huge so I opted for an Amur instead.

Looks like they reduce quite well! I’m going to go back and get one now

I like Wilmore Nursery a lot. Have picked up a number of items from them. Check out their Cliff Fendlerbush stock, they have very tiny leaves and white flowers. They are a Colorado native species to. I have 3 of them. 2 from Wilmore. They can be chopped back and not suffer any harm. Look for New Mexico privet to, another great tree for Bonsai.

 

[just.wing.it]

Very cool!

 

[plant_dr]

I see these all the time in the mountains here in Utah. Love them! Here's one I collected earlier this year. Picture taken about a month ago.

 

[Michael P]

Beautiful and inspiring! I have four in my landscape, all started from air layers. The parent of my clones is from the relic population in Central Texas. I will try more air layers this spring--friends want some, but at least one will stay with me as bonsai-to-be. And now I am lusting for the cliff fendlerbush, but I'm afraid it won't like the summers here.

 

[Colorado]

Gorgeous fall color! I’m going to try to collect at least one of these next spring.

 

[Lost2301]

I see these all the time in the mountains here in Utah. Love them! Here's one I collected earlier this year. Picture taken about a month ago.View attachment 268370

Nice tree, good luck with it. My trees turned a nice peach color. For some reason this year one of them turned yellow and the other one is still green. Its supposed to get down to 2 degrees in a couple of days!!

 

[plant_dr]

Yes, I know that peach color very well!
The range of colors that can occur is wonderful!
Here's a dark red too.

 

[Colorado]

Have you found any nice fat stumps of this species?

It seems like most of the ones I come across are either a slender single or a cluster of very slender trunks. Can’t say I’ve looked that extensively, yet, though...

 

[Lost2301]

Have you found any nice fat stumps of this species?

It seems like most of the ones I come across are either a slender single or a cluster of very slender trunks. Can’t say I’ve looked that extensively, yet, though...

I have not seen a wild one here in Colorado, if I remember correctly they grow down around the four corners area according to the USDA maps. The tree I posted here does have a pretty good sized trunk for a nursery tree. My other tree trunk is no where close to the trunk size on this one. I doubt I will ever see a wild one myself. The big trunk one in this post came from the Sprucery Nursery south of Parker close to Ponderosa High School. I think that might have been the only big one they had. Yes I did spell the name correct of the nursery. You could buy one and put it into the ground for a number of years to fatten up the trunk. My smaller trunked one has increased in trunk size over the year. I have chopped that tree back numerous times just to get it under the plant bench to put in the gravel bunker for the winter. You would not know it now except for my last chop. I am not letting it get any tall now.

 

[Lost2301]

Yes, I know that peach color very well! View attachment 268456
The range of colors that can occur is wonderful!
View attachment 268455 Here's a dark red too.

Yes that is the peach color I like so much. All though that darker red does appeal to me to!!! According to the USDA map these trees grow in about every county in Utah. I would think you probably might find a nice one somewhere. You could even try air layering a wild tree if you find one you like. Now that would be sweet.

 

[Colorado]

I have not seen a wild one here in Colorado, if I remember correctly they grow down around the four corners area according to the USDA maps. The tree I posted here does have a pretty good sized trunk for a nursery tree. My other tree trunk is no where close to the trunk size on this one. I doubt I will ever see a wild one myself. The big trunk one in this post came from the Sprucery Nursery south of Parker close to Ponderosa High School. I think that might have been the only big one they had. Yes I did spell the name correct of the nursery. You could buy one and put it into the ground for a number of years to fatten up the trunk. My smaller trunked one has increased in trunk size over the year. I have chopped that tree back numerous times just to get it under the plant bench to put in the gravel bunker for the winter. You would not know it now except for my last chop. I am not letting it get any tall now.

Gotcha. I believe I was conflating the “Rocky Mountain Bigtooth Maple” (acer grandidentatum) with the “Rocky Mountain Maple” (acer glabrum).

Here’s a photo I took earlier this year in Roxborough State Park here on the front range:



Upon further review this is clearly a. glabrum.

Nonetheless, I think both species are very interesting and hope to experiment with both in the future!

 

[bonsaichile]

Nice tree! I have 2 of them, and I can tell you I almost killed one by working the roots as if it were a regular maple. I will try hbr with my second one. They definitely don't like root work!

 

[Lost2301]

Gotcha. I believe I was conflating the “Rocky Mountain Bigtooth Maple” (acer grandidentatum) with the “Rocky Mountain Maple” (acer glabrum).

Here’s a photo I took earlier this year in Roxborough State Park here on the front range:

View attachment 270164

Upon further review this is clearly a. glabrum.

Nonetheless, I think both species are very interesting and hope to experiment with both in the future!

I think acer glabrum are the ones I keep seeing when I am looking for moss in the Pike National forest. They are all tiny little trees and I have no idea how big they get. I mean tiny no more then 12 inches tall and all look like saplings. I have tried a couple time to bring a few home, but none of them made it. Its really strange that I cannot seem to find one even big enough to produce seeds. I thought they mike a nice forest since they were so small. The still might if I'd quit killing them.