3 Year Old Maple Setting

'Arki'

Maple are a species of maple native to eastern China Taiwan and Japan.

This is a small deciduous tree with ascending branches when young, maturing to a more rounded canopy. Leaves are small, triangular and tri-lobed. New spring foliage is a rich bronzy-red colour maturing to a dark green in summer. In autumn foliage turns yellow to orange to red. Bark is a pale grey-brown orange and appears scaly or flaky. Flowers are green and inconspicuous.

Maple Bonsai thrive in sunny and airy locations, but when temperatures are above 30 degrees, it should be placed somewhere with indirect sunlight to prevent the sun from damaging the leaves as it will burn.

Maple leaves change with the season and are affected strongly by the climate. Depending on the variety of maple you have, it may change colour from red to green when the weather warms up. Some varieties will stay red but may take a lighter red or orange colour when the weather gets warm.  They will completely lose their leaves by the end of April - May.

A Japanese Maple Bonsai must be watered daily during the growing season. During winter and the cooler months it's a good idea to feel the soil to determine if it needs water.  The soil should be slightly damp but never bone dry.

The width of the pot in the image is 16cm wide, total height being 22cm