Vine Maple: The Third Yardadori

[grouper52]

I don't believe I've posted this before.

This is a yamadori Vine maple my wife and I found in a nursery, which is not uncommon here - it's a local variety, quite beautiful and often sculptural. It has a staggeringly impressive base, but my wife wanted it for the yard and I didn't fight her because (besides such fights not being a smart thing for me ) they have a reputation as not making good bonsai, due to long internodes and leaves that won't reduce much, and rapid growth spurts that will leave wiring scars.

Three years ago, I think, my wife didn't care for it any longer in the yard, and I took possession.

I decided, given its supposed faults as a bonsai, that I would try grafting Shishigashiri onto it. It never took, so I removed those grafts. But before I did so, Ang3lfir3 was over my house, and this is a tree we talked about for a while. He pointed out that, even if the graft wasn't taking, the tree had enough merits on its own to try to work with as a bonsai. I agreed.

Today I removed the grafts. Looking more closely at the tree, and cleaning it up a bit, I saw a lot of potential: some of the internodes in the past two seasons are as short as 1/4", and the leaves are reducing enough this season to make the tree look reasonably convincing as a bonsai, even if it never sports foliage small enough to look all that convincing as a real tree.

I plan to simply enjoy getting it to do whatever it can with standard maple techniques, and leave it at that. A new pot will probably happen next season.

Enjoy.

 

[bonsai barry]

It has enough beauty to bring joy. Have you considered carving up the trunk?

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

Very excellent tree, Will. I haven't posted much on your threads before, but that's because I've got this whole continuous battle with jealousy and whatnot. ;-p

Really, that's an awesome find. I love the trunk as I haven't really seen many maples with such drastic movement before. This could turn into a really amazing tree, especially under your care.

 

[grouper52]

Thank you both for your kind words.

No, Barry. Probably for the first life in my life I have NOT considered carving the trunk on one of my trees! Must be getting old, losing my touch.

 

[milehigh_7]

Must be getting old, losing my touch.

Yea... doubt it!

 

[Ang3lfir3]

makes me smile every time I see it!!! a truly special example of this material .... I look forward to discussing on many occasions in the future!

 

[grouper52]

Here's this contender again a few years later, the image refining nicely. Enjoy.

 

[M. Frary]

That sure is one impressive base! Looks to be a very cool tree actually.

 

[Giga]

Vine maples can get very old, your looks fantastic!

 

[sorce]

Yeah the scale is getting close, but should be a nice winter image anyhow!

Love the bottom!

Sorce

 

[grouper52]

Here's an update, spruced up (no, it's not a spruce) in a real pot for the local club's mall show. Enjoy.

 

[NHATIVE]

Any update on this one? It's a lovely tree and would love to see more progression! Also very interested in these as bonsai as I've got Vine Maples all over here in Western Washington...

 

[grouper52]

Thanks for your interest! It's just gone into winter hibernation, so looks pretty bare for the moment, this is a species that does NOT respond well to leaf pruning - it just comes back looking weird, so It only looks good with the first blush of Spring, and in leafless winter, and doesn't look very much different in its basic configuration from year to year. Still, the snake-like base is to die for in those two seasons! Glad you appreciate it! And glad you like these trees! Most are just grown fairly straight and boring for yard trees, but if you can get one collected from over in the Olympics where the browsing deer have stunted them interestingly, as they did this one, then you've got a real beauty! Hope you can get one like that. I got this one 10-15 years ago as a landscape tree at Bainbridge Island Nursery, and occasionally they may get other ones of interesting configuration in as well.

 

[grouper52]

Here's a recent update:

 

[grouper52]

And here's how it started out under my care about 10 years ago. Enjoy!

 

[TyroTinker]

Wow for all of the negative I’ve things I’ve heard about vine maple as bonsai you still managed to make it look really good. I’m interested in vines too for the same reason as NHATIVE. Growing up camping all over in the PNW for scouting, vine maples are one of the main reasons I ended up finding/getting into bonsai now that I’m older.
Thanks for the inspiration, I might actually get one now, if I find the right one for sale at my local nursery.
And thank you @NHATIVE for digging up this older thread

 

[sorce]

A great reminder to keep on bimbling!

Sorce

 

[Shima]

I don't believe I've posted this before.

This is a yamadori Vine maple my wife and I found in a nursery, which is not uncommon here - it's a local variety, quite beautiful and often sculptural. It has a staggeringly impressive base, but my wife wanted it for the yard and I didn't fight her because (besides such fights not being a smart thing for me ) they have a reputation as not making good bonsai, due to long internodes and leaves that won't reduce much, and rapid growth spurts that will leave wiring scars.

Three years ago, I think, my wife didn't care for it any longer in the yard, and I took possession.

I decided, given its supposed faults as a bonsai, that I would try grafting Shishigashiri onto it. It never took, so I removed those grafts. But before I did so, Ang3lfir3 was over my house, and this is a tree we talked about for a while. He pointed out that, even if the graft wasn't taking, the tree had enough merits on its own to try to work with as a bonsai. I agreed.

Today I removed the grafts. Looking more closely at the tree, and cleaning it up a bit, I saw a lot of potential: some of the internodes in the past two seasons are as short as 1/4", and the leaves are reducing enough this season to make the tree look reasonably convincing as a bonsai, even if it never sports foliage small enough to look all that convincing as a real tree.

I plan to simply enjoy getting it to do whatever it can with standard maple techniques, and leave it at that. A new pot will probably happen next season.

Enjoy.

Love it!

 

[NHATIVE]

Looking great! Bainbridge Gardens is about 5 minutes down the road from me. With the coffee shop right there it makes a great place to grab coffee on lunch breaks... I just picked up a Korean Maple from the "misfit corner" a few weeks ago. They seem to share some of the same faults as vine maple with long internodes and leaves that are hard to reduce. This has given me hope for this species as well!

Either way, headed to the Olympics tomorrow to see if I can find a vine maple of interest. Might be difficult to distinguish without leaves, but hoping fallen leaves around the base might help give them away. Will report back!

 

[Cadillactaste]

And here's how it started out under my care about 10 years ago. Enjoy!View attachment 273232

Wow...what a transformation. You had magician's hands...and an eye for sure. Really sad to know you are selling this one off. Especially seeing where it came from. But I know...you have to do what is best for you. And I pray that you find it my friend. Which ever fork in the path you choose.