Acer davidii, Acer pennsylvanicum

snakebark maple

The snakebark maples are named for their white striped bark which becomes rough and cracked with age. Acer davidii, Pere David's maple, is a Chinese maple which has seen successful use in bonsai. It is a good tree for high elevations, as it will grow at up to 3000 ft. Acer pennsylvanicum is the only snakebark maple native to the US. It is easily located on the east coast, but rarely found on the other side of the Alleghenies.

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Lighting:

 Full sun, slight shade in summer.

Temperature:

 No temperature information was available.

Watering:

 Moderate during growth, sparingly in winter.

Feeding:

 Every two weeks in summer.

Repotting:

 Every 2-3 years in spring, before bur burst. Use basic bonsai soil. Does not like high pH.

Styling:

 Prune as needed during growth. Leaf pruning in midsummer is useful for leaf reduction. Generally used for larger sized bonsai, and does not work well as a broom. Suitable for all other styles.

Propagation:

 Cuttings, air-layering, or seeds after cold pre-treatment.

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Some species suitable for bonsai:


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Related posts on Acer davidii:

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A. Sikora
March 20, 1997
P.S. to my prev. comment.... this tree in Dahlonga may be more than the expected 50 ft. All my sources show a different shape ( not spreading) so this is probably as old, or very close, as I estimate. Will get a chance to measure it  and do research soon.

Can any one tell me how to differenciate between varieties? I would appreciate any help in narrowing down which type this is. Also, any details on import history would help greatly.

A.Sikora


A. Sikora
asikora@atlonline.com
March 20, 1997
Sorry, but I think you have the tree size a bit small. Not only do all my sources say that Acer davidii reaches 50 feet, but this has been confirmed by the U.S. National Arboratum, to whom leaf and seed samples were sent.  A very old specimen is living and well in Dahlonega, Georgia (USA) and is at least 50 ft. tall with a spreading habit. It was probably planted (imported) during Dahlonega's "gold rush" years which began about 1828 or 1829 (sources vary). Historic research is now underway to find the real age and history of this tree. I have a few extra seeds of this ancient tree, if anyone is interested, just e-mail.




=================================================================

Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 20:57:27 -0400
From: Jean-Pierre Giguere 

Here are some informations on Acer davidii.
They are freely translated from: Les arbres, L'oeil nature collection,
Bordas ed,"

Leaf: form of a hearth, 15cm long, 10cm wide, brilliant dark green on top,
downy under. Orange color in fall.

Bark: green, with vertical white stripes. Gray and cracked on old specimen.

Flowers: small, green, in hanging clusters at the end of spring, with the
leaves.

Fruits: wings spreaded, 3cm.

Origin: China

Habitat: woods and copses in altitude.

Remark: form and size of leave variable. Many cultivars: "George Forest",
"Ernest Wilson", etc.


     Hope that help:

                     Jean-Pierre
Jean-Pierre Giguere,
1159,Roy,
Chicoutimi, Qc.
Canada.
G7J-2W7.
jpgi@saglac.qc.ca

=================================================================

From: bkprod@netcom.ca(Burkhard Kiehne)
Date: 20 Sep 1996 03:21:58 GMT

Acer davidii is a small tree about 15m high. Young twigs have white
stripes.The leaves look like birch leaves. The natural habit is
Hupeh,Yunnan and Szechuan (China).The tree won't grow on soil with high
ph. There are two Forms: 'Ernest Wison', selected in 1907.The original
tree is in England. The other variety is 'George Forrest', a fast
growing selection,also to be seen in England. Acer davidii is close to
A. laxiflorum. Both grow up to 3000m elevation. The seeds have to be
stratified. One pound has an average of 13400 seeds.
If you ask me there are many other maples which look close for example
A.pennsylvanicum, which is easy to find in forests.
Burkhard

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Information Sources:

Information on snakebark maple is taken from Tomlinson's "Complete Book of Bonsai," and posts by Jean-Pierre Giguere and Burkhard Kiehne, with species information from Mitchell's "American Nature Guides: Trees.


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