Love Maples

[Xydan7]

Hi Everyone,


I really love maples but don't often see a lot of groups or shows displaying them. I visit a nursery here in Los Angeles and see dozens of junipers\pines. Where is the love for deciduous trees?

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Where is the love for deciduous trees?

In summer and fall, usually. In all honesty: large parts of the world have dormant trees in winter, and paying visitors would be offended to be looking at bare trunks and branches in pots if they can be seen in all their glory in every public space.
I think that if you visit in fall, you'll be amazed at how many maples there will be; they have awesome fall colors worthy of displaying. In summer, they make nice miniature trees with their filled canopy. I think the love is there, and lots of it. But only in the appropriate seasons.
Conifers are more or less the same throughout all seasons, so I'd expect display venues to have at least a couple around during every season.

 

[John P.]

Roger’s Gardens in Newport Beach has the best selection I’ve seen in SoCal.

 

[BrianBay9]

It's tough to grow Japanese maples in southern California. They usually end up looking pretty crispy. Tridents probably do better.

 

[MrWunderful]

Quality deciduous trees take much longer to make then conifers (if going for the bonsai “standard”) so they are more rare.
We have a significant amount up in northern CA.

 

[RKatzin]

You just have to go north. I'm not real familiar with California, but I'm familiar with Mendocino Maples. A good majority of my projects are in the maple variety. I got the love!

 

[bonsaidave]

I have to use shade cloth once temps get above 90 in Texas. If I don't the Japanese Maple leaves cook. It is only the direct sunlight, they are fine with 100°+ F heat as long as they have enough water and shade. In my experience.

 

[John P.]

I live in coastal Orange County, and this is the first time I’m sheltering the majority of my maples from direct sunlight. I’ll be curious to see how that affects them, since I’m years past they always look grim by mid summer.

I imagine they’ll grow less, but sheltering them and treating with systemic pesticide and antifungals should hopefully sustain them through the summer into the fall.

Hopefully.

 

[RKatzin]

Even up here in Oregon almost all my Japanese maples are in the shade before noon. Full on morning sun, though. One cultivar I have can handle the sun through the day. It's called, 'Glowing Embers". I believe I read it was named the Georgia state maple. Field maples are tough and can take the sun, just don't forget to water.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Maples are forest trees, Japanese maples are forest understory trees. Los Angeles is "stinking desert". Not a good climate for trees that require humidity and light open shade. That is why you don't see maples in your part of California. Try growing desert trees and shrubs. You will have more success. A blooming palo verde tree is beautiful. Pomegranate does well in the dry climate of your area of california. Look through check lists of locally to your county native trees. Many will be useful for bonsai. Unless you can radically modify your environment, your area of Los Angels is too hot and too dry for Japanese maples.

Sorry, I am not intending to sound harsh, the "stinking desert" remark is my though after spending a lifetime one day stuck in Los Angeles traffic. I really was trying to be a little humorous.

Seriously. Climate is the reason. Best is to embrace what will grow in your climate. I get "Climate Zone Envy" on a regular basis. In the end, I have to resign myself to sticking with what will grow where I live.

 

[Xydan7]

Maples are forest trees, Japanese maples are forest understory trees. Los Angeles is "stinking desert". Not a good climate for trees that require humidity and light open shade. That is why you don't see maples in your part of California. Try growing desert trees and shrubs. You will have more success. A blooming palo verde tree is beautiful. Pomegranate does well in the dry climate of your area of california. Look through check lists of locally to your county native trees. Many will be useful for bonsai. Unless you can radically modify your environment, your area of Los Angels is too hot and too dry for Japanese maples.

Sorry, I am not intending to sound harsh, the "stinking desert" remark is my though after spending a lifetime one day stuck in Los Angeles traffic. I really was trying to be a little humorous.

Seriously. Climate is the reason. Best is to embrace what will grow in your climate. I get "Climate Zone Envy" on a regular basis. In the end, I have to resign myself to sticking with what will grow where I live.

Palo verde looks very beautiful, I'll have to find some. I only have 1 maple that has lasted for me for 3 years and it has always received direct morning sun, and then shaded sun from afternoon till sundown.
I visited a nursery up in Auburn Sacramento and brought down with me a Katsura Maple sapling. It's going to be my first summer with it so I'm hopeful it'll make it through.

You don't sound harsh, It has been getting hotter over the years here.

 

[Xydan7]

Even up here in Oregon almost all my Japanese maples are in the shade before noon. Full on morning sun, though. One cultivar I have can handle the sun through the day. It's called, 'Glowing Embers". I believe I read it was named the Georgia state maple. Field maples are tough and can take the sun, just don't forget to water.

Would love to visit Oregon, I've only gone up north as far as Sacramento. Any nursery's up there you recommend for maple viewing?

 

[Xydan7]

Quality deciduous trees take much longer to make then conifers (if going for the bonsai “standard”) so they are more rare.
We have a significant amount up in northern CA.

What exactly makes them take longer to grow? Typically I see maples grow informal, where as most conifers I see have crazy bends which I imagine would take longer to develop.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

What exactly makes them take longer to grow? Typically I see maples grow informal, where as most conifers I see have crazy bends which I imagine would take longer to develop.

They grow way faster than conifers, they're just harder to refine when it comes to branches, wiring, bark.
You can have a finished conifer in 4-8 years. To do the same with deciduous trees would take two more years at least.

 

[MrWunderful]

What exactly makes them take longer to grow? Typically I see maples grow informal, where as most conifers I see have crazy bends which I imagine would take longer to develop.

it depends. Conifers can be bent into crazy contorted shapes because of the softness of the heartwood, most deciduous tend to have much harder wood.

One of the hallmarks of a quality deciduous trees is a scarless trunk- something that takes YEARS to create. Also- Jins are an “out” on conifers.

 

[RKatzin]

Would love to visit Oregon, I've only gone up north as far as Sacramento. Any nursery's up there you recommend for maple viewing?

There's only one in the area where I am and that's Forestfarm. Once you break out of S. Oregon there are several. Monrovia and Iseli are two popular names. Love to show you around!