Montpellier maples - Acer monspessulanum

[AlainK]

Since there's at least one person over the pond interested in Montpellier maples, I will post about mine here.

As JudyB said:

"They are surely slow to develop, how do you find yours likes sun and heat? I have heard that they don't mind sun, heat and even being a bit on the dry side. I do keep mine in more sun, but don't really allow it to dry out. Leaf health is difficult..."

Firstly, contrary to most maple species:

1. It's very difficult to take cuttings, or air-layer them;
2. They don't like being defoliated

(2) implies that when the leaves dry out, it's more difficult for them to recover, produce new leaves.
Secondly, they grow, and heal very slowly.

This means starting from "yamadori", a tree taken from the wild with a fat trunk is more difficult unless you like a bonsai with lots of dead wood. The wood is very hard, it was used in the, past for tools and naval construction.

Thirdly, depending where the seeds come from, they can have different genetic characteristics that have consequences on their cultivation:

1. They can hybridize with Acer campestre (field maple). This doesn't always show on the leaves, but:
2. Some can but out at different periods in the spring. this can be important to know when to repot. For instance, I have two strains of these. The first ones from near Brive-la-Gaillarde, from seedlings I collected from the wild, the other ones from seeds collected in august in "Ardèche", a region of low mountains with very harsh winters and very hot summers. The latter bud out at least two weeks after the first ones. Obviously, they've adapted to the local climate over the centuries.

We don't see many A. monspessulanum in my area, they're endemic to the Mediterranean regions and the lower half of the atlantic coast, yet thay can be grown in much harsher climates: so far, one of mine that was kept in a small "tomato pot" for a couple of years, then planted in a hedge, is the only one I've ever seen in miles around. It was collected about 16-18 years ago, and this is how it looks today. I usually prune it to 2 metres or so, but couldn't this year because of my two lombar discal hernia - never, ever accept when friends ask you to help them to move a piano from a flat on the sixth floor to a two-storey house!

 

[AlainK]

So, Acer monspessulanum nr. 5:

Lots of "incidents".

I wanted to use the first branch on the left as a new leader, but, ouch!, it broke out - yes, I forgot to say in the previous post that branches are brittle as glass compared to other Acers:

So I pruned it down lower and this is what I ended with:

Today. The "nebari" is not so bad, if I can bend down the leader to the left and use the new shoot at the base as a base for a new top, that'd great:

See what I mean? I like a looong first or second branch, like on Chinese bonsai, something like:

 

[JudyB]

I actually like it better after the branch broke off. How do you treat this one in comparison to regular maples as far as sun siting and watering/fertilizing habits?

 

[petegreg]

Alain, thanks for info, bookmarked.

...two lombar discal hernia... So this is what I live with in English. That's not good at all. If you don't mind asking, what do you plan to do with it? Exercising or surgery? I'm not brave enough so I take the first one. But it's just a temporary solution. Sorry for going off topic.

 

[AlainK]

Air-layering:

Veeeery difficult...

But that shouldn't stop us. I'm about to try what I did on a big Acer buregerianum : make a cut around the tree and then put a tight wire inside of it to induce a bulge so more cells can hopefully produce ùmore roots:



This one is 6/7 cm in diameter, I'll let you know if it works.

I already have one from a smaller branch, 1.5-2 cm but apart from planting it in a garden, I don't think there's much to hope from this one as bonsai:

 

[AlainK]

How do you treat this one in comparison to regular maples as far as sun siting and watering/fertilizing habits?

Well, I'm no expert on fertilizing. I usually add some some-release fertilizer when I repot my trees (Osmocote, if that means anything to you in the USA), and the rest of the time I use liquid 6-6-6 liquid fertilizer once in a while, but not so much as Walter P.

Since I much prefer deciduous trees, I try not to give them too much nitrogen so the internodes stay short. That probably means my trees take ten years to achieve what "specialists" get in 2 or 3 years' time, but I'm not in no hurry, I feel I still have some time to work by trial and error.

 

[AlainK]

...two lombar discal hernia... So this is what I live with in English. That's not good at all. If you don't mind asking, what do you plan to do with it? Exercising or surgery? I'm not brave enough so I take the first one. But it's just a temporary solution.

Dear patient,

I'm no doctor

But this kind of things is very frequent nowadays, and when "osteoarthrosis" comes upon that, well, you can imagine what it's like (and forgive some of my rantings when the pain is so hard and I just can't sleep, or hardly move around when it's daytime).

Swim, climb trees, dance, have sex: exercise is the best cure I think

Drastically reduce meat and eat fruit in the morning, grains and vegetables for lunch, and soup in the evening.

Avoid a regular (over-)consumption of alcohol, and be careful with dope, though it will cure your asthma, glaucoma, help with various cancers, is the best cure to seizures (

), and multiple sclerosis among other.

Have a social life, and "carpe diem".

 

[petegreg]

Dear Alain, my words, my way. Enjoy life.

 

[AlainK]

Another one.

Roots: OK, but the top is a real hassle; this one has always had large leaves and long internodes.

May 2008:

November 2015:

Today:

 

[jquast]

Nice write up Alain! I've been developing some Montpellier maples for many years now and they are definitely slow growers and brittle. I've been able to get a few to air layer in the past, they are not as quick as Japanese maples or Tridents to put out roots but they will layer. I plan to put a few layers shortly on one that I've planted out in the yard to thicken the trunk now that it has gotten to a size that I'm happy with.

I've been fortunate to have one flower a few years back and get some seedlings as a result as well.

 

[AlainK]

"Acer monspessulanum 5" is starting to become interesting.

The leaves are very small and the internodes quite short. I'll repot it in a much shallower pot next year, I hope it will develop nicely...

 

[JudyB]

Going well Alain. Do you find you have to keep out of full sun in summer? I had read that they wanted full sun, but am finding some curling crispy leaf edges. I've moved to partial sun instead.

 

[AlainK]

Do you find you have to keep out of full sun in summer? I had read that they wanted full sun, but am finding some curling crispy leaf edges. I've moved to partial sun instead.

I think that's the right thing to do: a tree in the ground, in its natural environment, has roots that can keep it alive. Acer monspessulanum grow in calcareous soils, with lots of stones in the ground. This kind of rock keeps some moisture in them, especially 50 or 60 cm below soil level (about two fett deep). when potted, it's a different story. How do you say, a horse of a different colour?...

 

[LanceMac10]

Excellent leaf reduction. I must admit I'm not familiar with this tree. You look to be grasping it's horticultural requirements quite well.
Looks like a fun tree, nice and lithe and airy!!
Well done!

 

[AlainK]

The month of June was exceptionally hot and dry here. So I put this one in a pond basket with pine bark.



I expected some roots growing downwards, but surprisingly, there were none:

 

[justBonsai]

Beautiful maples. This is a nice variety.

 

[Giga]

I would never be able to keep that tree watered, very nice though

 

[just.wing.it]

Very cool stuff Alain. Well done.

 

[JudyB]

That is a very shallow pot, please keep updating this, I'd like to know how it performs in such a shallow pot.

 

[AlainK]

That is a very shallow pot, please keep updating this, I'd like to know how it performs in such a shallow pot.

I will.