New Acer palamatum

[Piscineidiot]

Hi guys,

Bought this little tree from Leong at Bonsai South over the weekend. I know the trunks are a little lacking in taper etc., but I liked the natural silhouette it had, and the branching seemed to be in appropriate places. That, and the internodes are quite close together on the branches, which is always a positive!

Wired it up last night aiming for a naturalistic look. Sorry about the lack of a uniform background, but I was on the way out to work, so didn't have the time. Look forward to seeing what it does in Spring. Probably won't be lopping any more branches etc., off for a while since I had to do a pretty serious root prune on the little dude - lots of downward facing, spiraling, thick roots (almost as thick as the trunk) that made potting properly impossible without removal.

Cheers,

Owen

[Boics]

Looking like a decent start to a slimmer tree.

Are you sure that is A.Palmatum??

Looks more like a Chinese Elm too me... ?

[Piscineidiot]

Honestly, not entirely sure... It was in the group, labeled as such, but not having any leaves, there was no way of telling if someone else had misplaced it etc. Don't really mind if it's a Chinese Elm, though it's not anything like the previous one I had?

Guess we'll find out in Spring!

[shibui]

I think Boics is right. Looks very much like a Chinese elm to me too. Somebody may have put it down in the wrong spot. That would also explain the thick spiraling roots - a common trait of Chinese elms.

[MoGanic]

Honestly, not entirely sure... It was in the group, labeled as such, but not having any leaves, there was no way of telling if someone else had misplaced it etc. Don't really mind if it's a Chinese Elm, though it's not anything like the previous one I had?

Guess we'll find out in Spring!

I've had a Chinese Elm in the past that posed as a Japanese maple. This could be a Japanese Maple posing as a Chinese Elm! (Thought the bark really doesn't look like Japanese Maple at all!).

Eagerly awaiting the spring time for confirmation.

In any case, nice find and good luck with it.

Mo

[Truth]

Acer Palmatum would have mostly green shoots and stems. They don't develop the light grey fine bark until the tree matures.

That said, my deshojo has similar coloured (slightly redder) stems. But it doesn't quite have the same growth pattern.

[MoGanic]

Interesting thought - zoomed in on the image via the link and it appears to have alternating leaves - consistent with an Elm.

Photo gets super blurry zoomed in though, so not 100% on that. Had to find a little branch in line with the trunk as that is where the shot had been focused it appears.

Having seen this, I'd say it is most definitely an Elm (assuming my observation of the photo is correct).

Cheers,
Mo

[Piscineidiot]

Thanks guys,

The nodes to seem to alternate, though I'll double-check when I go home.

If it IS a Chinese Elm, that would explain why it stood out from the others in the same price range... Still, it should turn into a nice, little tree. I was looking at it sideways wondering why it wasn't more 'green' like younger palmatums tend to be. Was hoping it was just the strain. What threw me off was the fact that the previous Chinese elm I had, had more bark further up the trunk, despite being a younger tree, and it was already crackling and turning grey, whereas this one, appears to be more brown in colour, and less 'corked up'(?). Also my previous one had fine, grey, longitudinal striations on the younger branches, that were greener in colour.

Thanks all, for weighing in on an ID! I'm fairly sure you're right, and it's some kind of elm, but I'll be sure to post an update in spring when we can get a definite confirmation!

Owen

[MoGanic]

Thanks guys,

The nodes to seem to alternate, though I'll double-check when I go home.

If it IS a Chinese Elm, that would explain why it stood out from the others in the same price range... Still, it should turn into a nice, little tree. I was looking at it sideways wondering why it wasn't more 'green' like younger palmatums tend to be. Was hoping it was just the strain. What threw me off was the fact that the previous Chinese elm I had, had more bark further up the trunk, despite being a younger tree, and it was already crackling and turning grey, whereas this one, appears to be more brown in colour, and less 'corked up'(?). Also my previous one had fine, grey, longitudinal striations on the younger branches, that were greener in colour.

Thanks all, for weighing in on an ID! I'm fairly sure you're right, and it's some kind of elm, but I'll be sure to post an update in spring when we can get a definite confirmation!

Owen

Was your previous one a Corky Bark Chinese Elm? Regular Chinese Elm do not produce Cork bark and I have had one with smooth bark for years and years before it matures... still smoother than cork even then though.

Cheers,
Mo

[Piscineidiot]

I couldn't tell you, it might well have been. It was a cheapy from a local nursery, and they would have sourced it from whoever it is growing all the 'mallsai' that find their ways into non-specialist nurseries.

[Piscineidiot]

The more I look around, the more confused I get...

The bark on this tree is actually a 'baby poo' brown, while most of the Chinese elms I've seen seem to have grey bark. The photo, being taken in the sun, makes the tree look lighter than it actually is. Also, the bark on the base of the tree roughly approximates this:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevegreaves/2891469183

The bark on the twin trunks is actually really smooth, hard and bamboo-like.

The buds on the branchlets do appear to alternate, which would still suggest a Chinese elm, however.

Guess we shall find out in Spring! I shall keep you all posted.

[Naimul]

at first glance it looked a lot like a zelkova serrata to me (japanese elm i believe is the common name). the pointy buds and grey-ish brown bark matches mine.

[MoGanic]

at first glance it looked a lot like a zelkova serrata to me (japanese elm i believe is the common name). the pointy buds and grey-ish brown bark matches mine.

Agreed.

Mo

[Arthur Pentacost]

This is a great site. It does appear an elm. Time will tell.
Arthur