As soon as I saw the tiny tree, I was excited. It looked exactly like the Japanese maple that turns a deep red in my front yard.
The one that coaxes neighbors and strangers to take pictures of it. The one that is the last tree on my block to change its leaves in the fall. The one that wills passers-by to stop and tell me how much they love its color. The one that casts a bright red glow through my neighbor’s second-floor windows.
The tree is a hypnotic showstopper, and I love it for the same reasons as others (except when its tiny leaves fall into my yard in a thick blanket).
So, that was the reason for my delight in seeing the red Japanese maple bonsai at Longwood Gardens, about an hour west of Philadelphia. I went to Longwood for its annual Christmas displays with two of my neighbors, one of whom had never visited the grounds of this land that was first settled by the Lenni Lenape Indians and then owned by Pierre S. du Pont, who turned it into gardens..
Christmas displays are a staple at Longwood Gardens. This year, it dressed up for Christmas in interior displays that included artfully decorated trees (one with life-size musical instruments was amazing), poinsettias of various colors and more. Outside, trees sparkled with colored lights, and a cascading water fountain entertained with lights and music. There were even warming pits to chase away the chill while you were on the grounds. The other themed rooms of the conservatory were also open; my favorite is the orchid room.
The bonsai display at Longwood is among its standards, but I’d never seen a red Japanese maple among its offerings. Every tiny leaf on the tree seemed perfect, and they all came together in a lovely bouquet.
Training for this tree began in 1979, according to an ID plate in front of the dwarf tree, and it was indigneous to Japan and Korea. The Japanese maple got its botanical name “Acer palmatum” from it leaves, which have five pointed lobes said to resemble a hand. This tree’s bark turns to a grayish color as it ages, and this one had a light-gray trunk.
The leaves start out green, then orange and then a deep red (just as my full-size tree). Because the branches are flexible, these types of trees are said to be good for bonsai training.
Bonsai originated with the Chinese in 700 AD as a luxury item before being introduced in Japan as religious souvenirs. They began appearing among both people of means and commoners around the 14th century in Japan.
By the mid-19th century, Westerners learned of this practice. Bonsai were seen as works of arts, and growing and training them became a hobby. Japanese bonsai trees were exhibited in the first world fair in this country in Philadelphia in 1876.
Admiring a bonsai tree is one thing; I’m not sure if I’d want to grow one. It looked too difficult. I learned, though, that caring for a bonsai is manageable, and several sites offered tips on how to train them and keep them alive. I also learned that it’s not as simple as taking care of your house plants. I’m sure, though, it’s as satisfying as admiring the red Japanese maple in my yard.
Since the bonsai still bore its bounty of red color, it’s perfect for my wish to you for a Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with possibilities and opportunities that you don’t allow to get away without acting on them.
