Which maple tree to choose as a bonsai?

Maple trees are among the most popular bonsai species. There are many varieties that are distinguished mainly by the color of their foliage in spring and autumn. It is really the bonsai that we recommend to embark on this wonderful world because it is beautiful all year round, is easy to maintain and its vigorous growth allows you to have a quality bonsai in a few years.

Maple palmatum, the Japanese maple

This is the one we know the most, the palmatum maple in bonsai is what is known as the type variety, with delicate foliage that turns bright red in the fall. But there are hundreds of varieties with differences in the shape of the leaf (more or less cut), the color of the foliage in spring or autumn.

One of the popular varieties is the deshojo maple , whose leaves turn blood red in the spring. However, it is more fragile, needs more protection from the sun and grows more slowly.

In the bonsai nursery, we also appreciate the Kiyohime maple for its natural "broomstick" habit. It has a basal tendency, which means that the lowest parts are the most vigorous, unlike most trees whose heads are the strongest and will grow faster. The Kiyohime therefore has a natural ball-shaped habit that evokes a peaceful tree growing in the plains.

We have many varieties of Japanese maple bonsai and some enthusiasts have made it their specialty; They only have maple trees in their collection. In spring or autumn, it's a festival of colours. During the winter, when the leaves have fallen, you can appreciate the fine branching. It is also during this season that they are exhibited in Japan because it is there that the maples reveal all their inner beauty and that we can appreciate the maintenance work by the bonsaika.

» See all our maple bonsai trees

Burger maple, the most powerful

It is also called trident maple because of the shape of its leaf, which is made up of three lobes. Its growth is much more vigorous than the Palmatum, resulting in massive trunks with a beautiful bark that peels slightly over time. It grows very fast and to maintain its shape, it will need to be pruned several times during the growing season. Within a few years, you get a dense and well-established branch.

The bonsai burger maple also tolerates the sun better than the Palmatum. In the fall, the leaves turn orange.

How to have beautiful fall colors on your bonsai maples?

Some hobbyists sometimes find that their maple does not take on beautiful colors in the fall, the reason is often that the bonsai has been too protected from the sun. If it's put in too much shade, the leaves will just color a little and then turn brown and fall off, without having that vivid sheen that we love so much. But it's a tree that doesn't like the scorching sun that can roast the leaves, so you have to find the right balance.

On hot summer days, protect your maple trees (even if the burger is more resistant to the sun) by ideally placing them in a place where they will receive the sun in the morning but will be sheltered during the day. The morning sun is less strong and the risk of burns will be greatly reduced. As early as mid-August, you can start putting it in full sun for longer. It is the sun that will favor the beautiful colors.

You can also bring in a fertilizer that is higher in P and K from mid-summer onwards.