Trident maple (Acer buergerianum)

El Acer buergerianum, or trident maple as it is popularly called, is a species of deciduous tree widely cultivated in the temperate regions of the world. Unlike others, it tends to grow more like a small tree and sometimes even like a large bush, that's why It can look great in gardens or pots.

In addition, it is not a very demanding plant. It withstands frost without problems and, if necessary, it could be pruned to reduce its height and/or crown, recovering well from pruning. But we recommend avoiding cutting anything, since if it is planted in the ideal place there will be no reason not to let it grow on its own.

Origin and characteristics of the trident maple

The trident maple, whose scientific name is Acer buergerianum, is a deciduous tree native to China, Japan and Taiwan. Normally, it reaches a height of 3-7 meters, and develops a more or less straight trunk about 40 centimeters thick., but sometimes you can see specimens of more than 10 meters with a trunk of more than 60 centimeters, like the one in the image. The leaves are trilobed, about 5-10 centimeters long by 3-7 centimeters wide, and are green, but turn red in autumn.

Its flowers bloom in spring, and are grouped in white terminal inflorescences. The fruits are bisamaras, that is, two samaras joined by one side of the seed, and measure about 2-3 centimeters. When ripe they are brown.

For what do you use it?

It's a maple used only as an ornamental plant. Whether in gardens or in pots, it is a plant that, as we are going to see, does not require any special care to be healthy.

As it also tolerates pruning, it is one of the tree species that is most used as bonsai, both in its places of origin and abroad.

How do you take care of yourself?

If you want to have a Acer buergerianum, before buying it, I recommend you read our care guide, since that way you will know if you have chosen a suitable tree for your garden (or terrace), or if not:

Climate

It is a plant that lives well in those climates in which the four seasons are well differentiated. What's more, very well resistant to frosts down to -20ºC.

By contrast, could not live in those regions where the winters are very mild and there are no frosts. At a minimum, it should drop below 0 degrees at some point, and stay for several days with maximum temperatures below 15ºC.

Summers have to be warm, but without reaching extremes. For example, in the Mediterranean, with temperatures of 38-40ºC, it would suffer damage, both due to the high degree of insolation, and, above all, due to dehydration. In fact, in these conditions it is advisable to have it in a pot (and better if it is made of clay, so that the roots do not overheat so much) to be able to move it from place to place if necessary.

Location

Although we just talked about it, let's go deeper into the subject. El Acer buergerianum it is a tree that, as long as the climate is temperate, without extreme temperatures, can (and should) be in full sun. It needs it to grow straight, produce normal sized leaves, and flower. But when not, it is preferable to have it in the shade, or semi-shade.

If we talk about where to plant it, it will depend a lot on whether we have a garden or not, and if we do, if we have room for it and if the land is going to allow it to grow well. Therefore, we must remember that it is a plant that exceeds 3 meters in height, and that You can have a cup whose base is about 3 meters wide.

It does not have invasive roots, but it does It should be planted in light soils (or substrates, if it is to be grown in pots), rich in organic matter, and with a pH between 5 and 6, since in alkaline ones (pH higher than 7) its leaves become chlorotic.

Irrigation

Like the vast majority of maples, our protagonist fears the drought. Therefore, if it rains regularly throughout the year in your area, perfect, since you will not have to water it more than when you see the dry land.

However If, on the other hand, it rains little, only a few specific months a year, you will have to be more vigilant of your maple In fact, you may need to water it 3 or even 4 times a week during the summer, and once or twice a week the rest of the year, depending on the weather.

Use rainwater, or alternatively slightly acidic water, since if it is alkaline, the pH of the soil will rise and the tree will become chlorotic.

Related article:

When and how to water trees?

Humidity

By humidity we mean the humidity of the air. The trident maple must be in an area where it is high, otherwise its leaves will dry. But how do you know if you live in a wet or dry place? Well, the fastest way is to look at the windows at home: if every day they wake up foggy, and also take time to dry completely, it's because it's high.

But to be sure, I recommend that you Google “humidity of (name of your town)” to find out, since it can be the case that, yes, it is high in the morning or at night, but very low during the day. But In general, you should know that on an island or near the coast it is high.

What to do if it is low, that is, if it is 50% or less? In that case, you will have to spray its leaves with water, late in the afternoon.

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It is highly recommended to pay Acer buergerianum in spring and in summer. For this, you can use organic fertilizers such as compost. But if you are going to work it as a bonsai, it is preferable to use specific fertilizers for this type of plant such as this, since with them it is prevented from growing so fast, so that its growth is better controlled.

Multiplication

It multiplies by seeds, which must be cold for three months before germinating.. Therefore, if temperatures in your area remain below 15ºC and there is frost, you can plant them in pots and leave them outside to germinate in spring. But if the winter is mild, you will have to stratify them in the fridge, putting them in a tupperware with vermiculite (you can buy it here).

In any case, do not forget to treat them with multipurpose fungicide (or powdered copper) so that the fungi do not spoil them.

Transplant

Can be planted in the garden or in a larger pot in spring, before the leaves sprout or shortly after.

Pruning

Pruning takes place at the end of winter, before the crown fills with leaves. Branches that look bad must be removed, as well as broken and dry ones. It can also be used to trim the length of those that are growing too much.

Rusticity

El Acer buergerianum resists frost down to -20ºC, but as we have seen, it is a tree that can only do well if the climatic and soil conditions are ideal for it.

What did you think of this tree?