Anything can become a bonsai? Yes, even Maple.

The bonsai of the day is a native tree that grows very easily in my area. It is not a fruit tree, but it is known to produce a unique sap that can be made into the sweetest syrup which tastes great on pancakes, french toast, and doughnuts. This type of tree is often planted as a centerpiece in the yard to provide shade and to be adored for the color-changing leaves in Autumn.

ID: 0006
Nickname: Amelia
Type: Maple
Age: 4 years
Grown: seed
Last repotting: summer 2016
Wired: never

About this tree: The fun thing about this tree is how I got it started. After collecting a bunch of helicopter seeds in the fall from one of the more colorful trees growing in the neighborhood, I put it in a ziplock bag with a wet paper towel. Then I stuck it in the crisper drawer in my fridge and forgot about it for a few months. Hence, the nickname Amelia is in honor of the first famed female pilot who flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and later went missing. We may never know what happened to Earhart, but I hope this tree one day makes helicopter seeds that will take flight again.

Eventually a few of the seeds rooted in late winter. I put them in some potting soil, and left it in my garage to protect it from frost and the elements. In spring, it sprouted up very quickly with a single stem, and it wasn't repotted until another year later. The other seedling barely lasted the season, and I let them go. It tends to grow very large leaves bigger than the palm of my hand. After some trial and error, I discovered I could snip the leaves off, and a new branch would form between the leaves. Leaves always grow in pairs, and the buds form between the pairs, and sometimes a pair of buds will form just below the leaves. Each time the leaves are removed, it will try to push out more leaves from the buds if it has enough energy. Each time the leaves will be smaller. In the late summer, the I get many more leaves and they are smaller than the palm of my hand. If you don't snip off the big leaves, the tree will grow a single branch very long and tall to extend the trunk higher, and distance between the buds will increase.

This tree rarely suffers from insect damage, but sometimes some hungry aphids might be attracted to the new tender growth as soon as the buds open up. The leaves shed water easily, and are spring loaded to return towards a horizontal angle if wind knocks into it. Roots prefer soil that stays a bit damp. So does the moss. It does not like to be in direct sunlight all day long when it is very hot out. It seems to grow more vigorously on the cool cloudy days. Watch out for leaf spots and fungus that forms on the leaves after a period of rain. Snip off any leaves that look mottled, yellow, or crisp on the edges.

A note about the leaf buds. In spring when they first open, they are very beautiful to behold. The buds turn a deep green and sometimes burgundy red, and curl back like flowers. The leaves stretch out from the branch like umbrellas opening.

My plan is to continue to train this tree in the same way, letting it create a somewhat natural shape without extra guidance. Next spring I would be happy if it forms buds further down the trunk, but that does not seem to be the nature of how it grows. It always forms the strongest bud growth on the branch tips, and just below the tips. I could probably make a strong heading cut halfway up the trunk, and cross my fingers, but I am not brave enough as this is only one of my two successful Maple trees I have growing.

There is no visible roots at the base, so I might opt to lift the base of the tree higher out of the soil the next time I repot. Thick, visible roots stretching out in a star formation is ideal in bonsai. They call these roots nebari. The base of the tree is tapering out nicely. I know this is hard to see in this photo. The trunk is too long and straight for my liking, however this is how I think most full sized maple trees look in our mild weather climate zone.

The photo I picked for the honorable mention today goes to this fantastic flower I found growing during my lunch break from work.

Looks like some kind of hibiscus flower to me. The spiraling petals overlap to form a pinwheel.