Tell me why native silver maple sucks?

[MMJNICE]

So I've told to give up on native silver maple because the"1. leaves are to big" 2. "The leaf posts are too long". 3. "The wood is too soft." So tell me a new reason because with very little effort I got the leaves under 4" most of which are around 2 to 3 inches long some even smaller around an inch. I've haven't been able to kill one yet.. the roots form amazing root spreads in very little time because of the crazy vigorous nature of the Species. The petals are on this example are all about 2 inches or so as well.. and these are saplings, Imagine if this was a well Ramified older tree. Btw I found four saplings and tied them together to form a clump. I really think more people should give them a try. Yea I may be a little bit Biased because I grew up under a beautiful silver maple at the house I was raised in but still,,, they are so easy to work with give them a try.. if I'm missing a reason let me know so I can figure out how to proceed because I'm spending a fair bit of resources on them .. ohh yea... the leaves are just as pretty as any Japanese maple heheheheheheheh. At least they don't look like weed leaves like the Japanese maples I'm joking

 

[pandacular]

I totally think you should keep on working with these things. Do what excites you! That said, I don't think these pictures are particularly convincing as to leaf reduction size. Honestly, they still look huge to me.

 

[MMJNICE]

I totally think you should keep on working with these things. Do what excites you! That said, I don't think these pictures are particularly convincing as to leaf reduction size. Honestly, they still look huge to me.

They are crappie pictures.. I was hoping the ruler would kinda show the smallness.. but I'm very happy with 2 to and half inch leaves. The one pictures I posted was I think the largest leaf on the whole tree. Probably should have said that in my little rant. So the largest leaf on the tree was 4" and it was only one that big. I'll have to look at what pictures I posted the little smush down pictures I have to pick from on my file is hard to tell

 

[MMJNICE]

Probably should have posted pictures with a Ruler showing how big the tree is.. it's probably under 15" I guess.. I'll get I picture with a better prospect

 

[Kievnstavick]

Species Study - Acer Saccharum/Acer Saccharinum

These Specific Species Study Threads will serve for the documentation and discussion of growing young plants, upwards, together, towards a common “TinyTree” presentation goal. These two are elusive bonsai subjects and notoriously overlooked... But LOVED, DEARLY by some... So I thought we...

www.bonsainut.com

There is a thread dedicated to this species with the purpose of identifying if this species is actually a viable bonsai candidate.

 

[Potawatomi13]

No reason except believe branches tend to grow upward like columnar tree. Hard to bring down without breaking(?) Generally ignore naysayers/work with tree you like.

 

[Kievnstavick]

Special pictures just for you. I took out my ruler to compare the sizes of our leaves. I do think my silver maple might be a hybrid as it has some leaves that don't really have the look of silver maples unless it is a juvenile/mature foliage type of thing.


Picture here is one of my first flush leaves. The petiole measures 1/2 an inch long. This is without an ramification and heavily feeding. I am not claiming anything as it could just be a fluke or circumstantial, but it is one of several leaves that small. It gives me hope that I can make them that small through ramification in the future.



This is the size of the leaves on average currently outside of the much bigger apical leaves. Three inches long from the start of the petiole to tip and two inches wide.

 

[Underdog]

I've one I've been playing with for four or five years but getting nowhere. I can't get a second flush after pruning. It just sets buds for next year. Bugs eat it like crazy. But... I keep trying.

 

[Empty Mountain]

I've one I've been playing with for four or five years but getting nowhere. I can't get a second flush after pruning. It just sets buds for next year. Bugs eat it like crazy. But... I keep trying

Interesting! I've pruned my silver maples (collected seedlings from Summer '21) four times this growing season and they've flushed out and are ready for another pruning soon. Haven't had any bug problems with this species either.

 

[BrightsideB]

Special pictures just for you. I took out my ruler to compare the sizes of our leaves. I do think my silver maple might be a hybrid as it has some leaves that don't really have the look of silver maples unless it is a juvenile/mature foliage type of thing.

View attachment 503059
Picture here is one of my first flush leaves. The petiole measures 1/2 an inch long. This is without an ramification and heavily feeding. I am not claiming anything as it could just be a fluke or circumstantial, but it is one of several leaves that small. It gives me hope that I can make them that small through ramification in the future.

View attachment 503060

This is the size of the leaves on average currently outside of the much bigger apical leaves. Three inches long from the start of the petiole to tip and two inches wide.

Love the leaves!

 

[Underdog]

Mine's not got much love at all. Maybe I'll try harder. It was a freebie from a garden club sale.

 

[Ininaatigoons]

Silvers hybridized freely with reds and there are several Cultivars commercially available. I have seen the juvenile silver maple leaves look almost like red, but a couple years later turn to the typical silver maple leaf. One thing is for sure. A tree is just a by any other name and without the tag I guess it's just Silver Maple.
That said, I am trying a couple myself. 1 clump of seedlings and my first air layer. The airlayer looked great last year and I thought it was going to be awesome. I repotted this spring and gave a good rough prune and the poor thing is in horrible shape. I don't know if I should toss it or put it in the ground. I only have a few years in on this species, but it doesn't seem as strong as one would think with the fast growth.
The biggest reason I don't think they are popular is that there are so many others to choose from.

 

[Ininaatigoons]

Silvers hybridized freely with reds and there are several Cultivars commercially available. I have seen the juvenile silver maple leaves look almost like red, but a couple years later turn to the typical silver maple leaf. One thing is for sure. A tree is just a by any other name and without the tag I guess it's just Silver Maple.
That said, I am trying a couple myself. 1 clump of seedlings and my first air layer. The airlayer looked great last year and I thought it was going to be awesome. I repotted this spring and gave a good rough prune and the poor thing is in horrible shape. I don't know if I should toss it or put it in the ground. I only have a few years in on this species, but it doesn't seem as strong as one would think with the fast growth.
The biggest reason I don't think they are popular is that there are so many others to choose from.

 

[MMJNICE]

No reason except believe branches tend to grow upward like columnar tree. Hard to bring down without breaking(?) Generally ignore naysayers/work with tree you like.

Same!

 

[MMJNICE]

Special pictures just for you. I took out my ruler to compare the sizes of our leaves. I do think my silver maple might be a hybrid as it has some leaves that don't really have the look of silver maples unless it is a juvenile/mature foliage type of thing.

View attachment 503059
Picture here is one of my first flush leaves. The petiole measures 1/2 an inch long. This is without an ramification and heavily feeding. I am not claiming anything as it could just be a fluke or circumstantial, but it is one of several leaves that small. It gives me hope that I can make them that small through ramification in the future.

View attachment 503060

This is the size of the leaves on average currently outside of the much bigger apical leaves. Three inches long from the start of the petiole to tip and two inches wide.

Special pictures just for you. I took out my ruler to compare the sizes of our leaves. I do think my silver maple might be a hybrid as it has some leaves that don't really have the look of silver maples unless it is a juvenile/mature foliage type of thing.

View attachment 503059
Picture here is one of my first flush leaves. The petiole measures 1/2 an inch long. This is without an ramification and heavily feeding. I am not claiming anything as it could just be a fluke or circumstantial, but it is one of several leaves that small. It gives me hope that I can make them that small through ramification in the future.

View attachment 503060

This is the size of the leaves on average currently outside of the much bigger apical leaves. Three inches long from the start of the petiole to tip and two inches wide.

Wow those things are tiny.. they kinda look like a field maple leaves but too deeply cut like silver maples leaves....... interesting... funny cuz I just nabbed a field maple sapling today.. I doubt it will live, but the leaves are so tiny I had to try.. and I know where to find them now and there was a bunch. And I'm not 100% sure if it is a field maple. The wood was so much different the anything native almost Dare I say Exotic

 

[MMJNICE]

Species Study - Acer Saccharum/Acer Saccharinum

These Specific Species Study Threads will serve for the documentation and discussion of growing young plants, upwards, together, towards a common “TinyTree” presentation goal. These two are elusive bonsai subjects and notoriously overlooked... But LOVED, DEARLY by some... So I thought we...

www.bonsainut.com

There is a thread dedicated to this species with the purpose of identifying if this species is actually a viable bonsai candidate.

Thanks for the heads-up.., I Enjoyed the read and totally agreed with most of what was said..

 

[MMJNICE]

I've one I've been playing with for four or five years but getting nowhere. I can't get a second flush after pruning. It just sets buds for next year. Bugs eat it like crazy. But... I keep trying.View attachment 503118View attachment 503119View attachment 503131

That really Weird.. my maples never stopped growing this whole summer.. are you not heavily feeding it? Is It pot bound? That would be my two guesses off the top of my head. It doesn't take long for a maple to completely fill a pot. If the tree is younger it may need root pruning every year.

 

[MMJNICE]

Silvers hybridized freely with reds and there are several Cultivars commercially available. I have seen the juvenile silver maple leaves look almost like red, but a couple years later turn to the typical silver maple leaf. One thing is for sure. A tree is just a by any other name and without the tag I guess it's just Silver Maple.
That said, I am trying a couple myself. 1 clump of seedlings and my first air layer. The airlayer looked great last year and I thought it was going to be awesome. I repotted this spring and gave a good rough prune and the poor thing is in horrible shape. I don't know if I should toss it or put it in the ground. I only have a few years in on this species, but it doesn't seem as strong as one would think with the fast growth.
The biggest reason I don't think they are popular is that there are so many others to choose from.

So how is the clump coming along? I'm really thinking the trunks could be fused already on mine. And my first silver maple that I've been Torturing for the last 3 years. it Has probably been re-potted 3 to 4 time over the last year because it was always getting blown over and breaking.. I Caught a bad case of root rot from me watering it too much over the winter this year and had to take the roots back after it leafed out... after it recovered its been unstoppable.. I've had to cut it back 4 times going on the fifth depending on if it grows a branch where I want it.. I'll take a quick crappie picture. This one I haven't tried to reduce the leaves fyi ...it's getting quite thick my vape is the size of a lighter

 

[GGB]

I've one I've been playing with for four or five years but getting nowhere. I can't get a second flush after pruning. It just sets buds for next year. Bugs eat it like crazy. But... I keep trying.View attachment 503118View attachment 503119View attachment 503131

That sure looks a lot like sugar maple. are the buds pointy in winter. Usually silver maple grows endlessly all season

 

[Orion_metalhead]

I get 3 or 4 flushes on mine. Leave room for die-back. Leaves get smallish. Take wire well and lignify quick.