Notes from Japan Maple Bonsai: Spring & Summer Maintenance

摘要

Maples, prized for their year round seasonal appeal, are the quintessential deciduous trees of bonsai culture. The fine winter silhouettes; the bright, colorful buds swelling in the spring; the soft, light summer foliage; and of course the wonderful,varied palette of color in the autumn all add to the aesthetic draw of maples for use in bonsai. A seemingly endless array of Acer varieties and cultivars exists; however, for the sake of simplicity, this article will focus on three - standard Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), Trident maple (Acer buergerianum), and Shishigashira maple (Acer palmatum 'shishigashira').