Acer negundo

boxelder

Boxelder is interesting because it is the only maple with compound leaves, and because it has an extraordinary range - found in southern Canada through the southwestern US! It is a very tough tree, and grows well where no other tree will grow. It has some landscaping value for use as a windscreen.

That being said, boxelder is the single most reviled tree for bonsai use I've heard discussed on the net. It is short-lived, weedy, suckers profusely, refuses to be trained, and does not miniaturize well. Why include it in the Tree Care FAQ? Firstly, because a variegated cultivar, Acer negundo `Flamingo,' has been bonsaied with some success. Secondly, if I see a tree which is not included in the list of potential bonsai, I generally assume that it can be bonsaied, but there isn't a lot of information on it. In this case, there is a lot of information, and it seems that it CAN'T be bonsaied. Don't waste your time - unless you want to take a shot at 'Flamingo.'

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Lighting:

 Full sun, slight shade in summer.

Temperature:

 Hardy in zones 2-8.

Watering:

 Moderate, although Acer negundo in the wild is known for its ability to tolerate drought.

Feeding:

 Every two weeks during growth, using basic bonsai food or half-strength general purpose fertilizer.

Repotting:

 In spring, before bud burst. Acer negundo grows profusely, and yearly repotting may be necessary to prevent it from becoming rootbound. Use basic bonsai soil.

Styling:

 Good luck!

Propagation:

 By seed, and also by division from its many suckers.

Pests etc.:

 Some consider Acer negundo to be a pest in its own right!

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Some species suitable for bonsai:


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

Date: Mon, 21 Oct 1996 21:49:23 -0700
From: Brent Walston 

At 03:53 PM 10/21/96 -0500, you wrote:
>OK, thanks to Anita's expertise, I HAVE seen everything! I'm referring to
>Acer negundo, the Boxelder or ash-leaf maple- a maple with COMPOUND leaves!!!!!
>
>Has anybody tried to bonsai this rascal, or do I have 10,000 landscape tree
>seeds? I know compound leaves are usually more difficult to cope with.....
>
>Thanks,
>Phil

Phil

I tried it. I couldn't get to slow down, just suckered like crazy even under
incredibly rootbound conditions. Leaf reduction: Zero. My advice is to
forget it, but I'm sure someone will come along and sing its praises.

Brent
Evergreen Gardenworks
bonsai@pacific.net

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

Date: Tue, 22 Oct 1996 11:14:12 -0400
From: Oliver Muscio 

Well, I won't disagree with Brent.  It does tend to grow rather rampantly,
and the compound leaves do not reduce appreciably (or at least
sufficiently).  Never-the-less, I have one, shohin size, that I keep because
I like the trunk motion it has (and because I can't bear to get rid of
anything if it's still alive).  That said, Brent is right; it's not a good
subject, except perhaps for a large bonsai where the leaves would not be out
of scale as much.

Oliver
Murray, KY

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

From: wojcik@pmsrs4.pd9.ford.com (wojcik)
Date: 23 Oct 1996 15:02:03 GMT

        I have had good luck reducing the size of the leaves (and the whole
plant, obviously) by using the variegated cultivar Acer negundo `Flamingo.'
As with most variegated plants, the reduced amount of green chlorophyll-
producing areas of the leaves tends to slow down the vigor of the plants
tremendously. `Flamingo' responded beautifully to root and branch trimming.
Like some others, I tried the all-green version and it suckered like crazy!

 Al Wojcik                                 
        
================================================================================

From: Robert Maxwell Harris 
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 1996 05:18:24 -0400

I too tried use this tree as a bonsai and it didn't work out too well. 
First, it grows very fast and as stated before no leaf reduction. I
eventually gave up on it and due to compact root problems, the tree
eventually died--so much for my Box Elder experiment. The tree itself
isn't very attractive. It is known as a weed tree and can be found growing
in disturbed soil. However, as for its good points, and bonsai is not one
of them. It is very drought resistant and grows in areas where other
maples do not have a chance. And since it grows quite fast, it makes an
excellent wind screen. However, it is also quite short lived. I wouldn't
waste my time with it. One use you might have is practicing bonsai
techniques with one before you move on to more valuable species since if
you make a mistake with Acer negundo and it dies, it isn't much of a loss.

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Information Sources:

Information on Acer negundo is taken from posts by Brent Walston, Oliver Muscio, Al Wojcik and Robert Maxwell Harris, with general maple care guidelines from Resnick's "Bonsai," the Samson's "Creative Art of Bonsai," and Tomlinson's "Complete Book of Bonsai," and species information from Coats' "Garden Shrubs and Their Histories," Mitchell's "American Nature Guides: Trees," and Thomas (ed.) "The Hearst Garden Guide to Trees and Shrubs."


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