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Trident Maple

Acer buergerianum

Height: 25' average mature height
Zones: 5-8 Find my zone
Aspect: partial shade to full sun
Watering: needs occasional summer irrigation, about one deep watering cycle per month once established
Maximum Water: tolerates occasional winter flooding but needs drier soil in the summer
Habit: single stem or trunk
Foliage: deciduous
Growth Rate: fast
Size Availability

Out of season.
quart - multistem form - $8.99 each
1 gallon - pruned to 16 inches tall - $12.50 each
3 to 4 feet tall - lightly branched - $19.97 each
1 gallon - $19.99 each
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall. Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.

Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out.
Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: in production most years but is unavailable in some due to limited seed/division material or finicky propagation
The Trident Maple is native throughout China, Korea, and Japan where it is most commonly used as a low-maintenance street tree but it is also one of the most popular maple species to be used for bonsai. Its small, unusual leaves and proliferation of small branches allow for easy shaping and the bright orange-red fall color is an added bonus. There are very few pests and diseases that affect Trident Maples and once established they are semi-drought tolerant. Trees are both heat tolerant and very cold hardy, allowing them to thrive in most climates in the United States.

Similar to Japanese Maples, we have found that these trees tend to look more intriguing when grown as a small multi-trunk tree so we offer pinched one gallon trees that have already developed multiple leaders in addition to our straight trees.


Close up of the small leaves on a Trident Maple
Source: Commons

Close up of the small leaves on a Trident Maple
Source: Commons

Attractive exfoliating bark provides winter interest
Source: Commons

Close up of the bark
Source: Commons

An excellent Trident Maple bonsai specimen
Source: Commons

An excellent Trident Maple bonsai specimen
Source: Commons

The new growth in the spring
Source: Commons

Displaying the fall color
Source: Commons

Rows of trees displaying their bright fall color
Source: Commons

Packing Plants For Shipping

We pack our plants depending on the needs of each species and size, most plants ship best with the roots packed in moist sawdust or bark fines but some species don't like root disturbance and are shipped in a soil-less growing media.

Excess soil is washed from the roots in preparation for shipping (18-24" White Pines)

Plants are bundled together to fit in boxes

Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes.

Plant Sizes


3 gallon Dawn Redwood

Standard quart shrub

Standard 14-18" multi-stem tree size

Standard deep plug pine tree

Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their Containers

Bamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.

We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.

1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed.

Unpacking Bare Root Plants

You will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top.


A bundle of trees.
When you are ready to plant, remove the trees from the plastic and soak the roots in a bucket of water for 30 seconds. Do not expose the roots to direct sunlight and do not allow them to dry out. When planting large quantities of plants we keep the plants in a black garbage bag to keep all sun and air flow away from the roots and pull each plant as soon as the planting hole is ready. Water the soil well right after planting.

What if I am not able to plant right away?

You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long.

For longer term storage of plants you can pot them up or plant them in rows close together temporarily and then pull them out later in the spring to be planted again. This keeps the roots moist while allowing for air flow to the tops. The roots should have good contact with the soil to ensure they have access to adequate moisture.
Size Availability
Out of season.
quart - multistem form - $8.99 each
1 gallon - pruned to 16 inches tall - $12.50 each
3 to 4 feet tall - lightly branched - $19.97 each
1 gallon - $19.99 each
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall. Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.

Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out.
Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: in production most years but is unavailable in some due to limited seed/division material or finicky propagation

* Shipping Rate Information

Most plants that ship with washed roots ship at a flat rate with free shipping for ordres over $75. Some plants, such as bamboo that are shipped potted, have rate tables based on the quantity and delivery location. Washed root plants ship free with any rate table plant even if the total of the washed root plants is less than $75. Delivery surcharges such as Remote Delivery Area are in addition to the standard shipping and are applied by shipping carriers to addresses with excessively long delivery routes, or those with difficult access such as those on islands that require ferries for delivery. Free shipping does not apply to delivery surcharges.
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