Amur Maple

Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala

The amur maple is the Trident Maple of the north! It has strong root growth, is easy to prune, and forms many buds. Amur Maple is completely frost-resistant and can easily tolerate our winter. It is a native of central and northern China, Manchuria, and Japan and was introduced to North America in the 1860s. If you are looking for a good starter tree, that you can start from seed or just want to practice the skills needed to maintain a nicer Japanese Maple, then the Amur Maple may be perfect for you.

Placement: Full sun during the growing season. Partial sun only on the hottest days of summer.

Watering: This tree grows quickly and will need frequent watering and fertilization while growing. Developed trees will develop long internodes if you are not careful about fertilization. Amur Maples are more forgiving on watering than Japanese Maples and will not show leaf scorch as soon as Japanese Maples.

Wiring & Pruning: Wire amur maples when the shoots are very thin. Branches grow quickly, so check wire often. Mature amur maple branches have a higher chance of breaking when wired, luckily this tree easily back buds from old growth.

It tolerates cutting very well and sprouts quickly after pruning with sharp bonsai scissors. To refine the branching, you can easily prune several times a year (until the beginning of August). As a mature bonsai, it can be kept very compact by regular pruning. A leaf cut is well tolerated. Healthy amur maple can be cut back or tweezed 2-3 times a year. 

Winter Care: This tree must be kept outside for winter or in cold storage, it thrives in zones 3 to 8. Trees in development should have pots buried in your garden or well-mulched.  

Additional Reading:

Bonsai Times (Club collection)

Maple,  Acer : #3 Trident, #5 Jap., , #10, #12, #15*, #22, #29, #32, #33, #37, #38, #39, #40, #44, #47, #54, #63, #64*, #72, #107

Bonsai with Japanese Maples: Peter Adams  *My favorite but out-of-print 

And please remember, the books and magazines are available from our PSBS library on this and many other bonsai topics.