Acer 'Arakawa'

The Beauty of Time Written in Bark

The Story of a Rescue Maple

Today, this Acer 'Arakawa' is part of the Connaught Bonsai collection, but its story began many years before it arrived here.

The tree spent an important part of its life in the care of Bonsai Eejit, where its history was carefully documented over several years. It was eventually acquired by Steve Shortt and later became part of his collection, before finding its way into Connaught Bonsai.

What makes this maple particularly interesting is that its story is not one of straightforward development. Before it could become a bonsai, it first had to survive.

Its journey involved poor roots, rotting wood, extensive deadwood, a hollow trunk, weak growth and, eventually, a challenging air-layering operation that gave the tree an entirely new root system.

It is, in many ways, a story of recovery before it became a story of refinement.

A Tree in Trouble

The documented story begins around 2010, when the tree was acquired from another bonsai enthusiast who was selling some of his trees. The previous owner had lost several trees during a particularly difficult winter, and many of the remaining trees were still suffering.

Because he lived in a remote area without access to conventional bonsai substrates such as akadama, he had been using an improvised mixture of peat and chicken grit.

When the Japanese maple was first seen, its condition was already serious. The base of the tree was beginning to rot, branches were being lost and the foliage was extremely weak.

The tree was lifted from its pot and the saturated chicken grit was removed from around the roots.

Original condition / roots after removing the wet substrate

The tree was then potted into a plastic box to give it a chance to recover.

Closer inspection of the trunk base revealed a layer of mud covering extensive deadwood. Once this was cleaned away, it became clear that some of the deadwood was beyond saving.

Deadwood at the base

Despite the problems, the rough bark was considered attractive enough to justify saving the tree.

There was even an early thought of air-layering above the damaged base, but examination revealed that the shari extended much further up the trunk than initially visible beneath the dead bark.

The deadwood was treated with wood hardener, while the priority remained simply keeping the tree alive.

The weak tree during recovery

The tree was kept in a polytunnel for the rest of the year. The photographs from this period show just how weak it was.

The First Sign of Hope

Despite everything it had been through, the maple produced something extraordinary that autumn.

Its foliage developed beautiful autumn colour.

The autumn display became one of the most attractive qualities of the tree and provided an important reminder that there was still considerable vitality within it.

The autumn colour was documented again in October 2011, when the tree was photographed on 4 October and then again on 13 October, showing how quickly the foliage was changing. The intention was even to take the tree along to a club meeting to share the display with other bonsai enthusiasts.

But the foliage was only part of the story.

During this period, further investigation revealed another remarkable feature.

The Hollow Within

On the opposite side of the trunk was a natural hollow, or uro.

Further exploration revealed that the centre of the tree was hollow and that the opening connected internally with the deadwood on the opposite side of the trunk.

The hollow was cleaned and treated with wood hardener, just as the deadwood at the base had been.

The tree's bark remained one of its strongest features, providing texture and age to a tree that otherwise had very little conventional bonsai structure.

At this stage, the tree was still far from being a refined bonsai.

The trunk had a hollow interior, a damaged base, extensive shari and poor branch structure.

But it had something else: character.

And, perhaps more importantly, it was still alive.

A Difficult Repot

After considering the condition of the tree, the decision was made to repot it properly in the autumn.

The tree was still sitting in the original unsuitable mixture, surrounded by the grit that had been used during the earlier potting-up.

The intention was to remove it from that environment rather than allow it to remain in poor soil throughout another winter.

The roots confirmed just how serious the problem had been.

The tree had produced some new roots into the surrounding grit, but there was almost no useful root development within the original mixture.

A training pot was prepared so the tree could be securely anchored.

The exposed base also provided another opportunity to clean and treat areas of deadwood that had previously been difficult to reach.

The extent of the shari running up the trunk became even more apparent.

There was also evidence that the tree had been gradually rolling callus over an old shari for several years. The wounds were tidied, the upper chop was cleaned and cut paste was applied.

The tree was then protected for the winter.

It was a decision that carried some risk.

After all, repotting a severely weakened tree just before another winter was far from ideal.

But leaving it in the existing substrate was considered an even greater risk.

Signs of Recovery

Then, in March, the buds began to swell.

Another coat of wood hardener was applied to the deadwood.

A few weeks later, the tree continued to open successfully, and even the cut paste covering the larger wound was beginning to crack as callus developed underneath.

The tree was moved into a greenhouse where the maples were kept.

The new foliage was considerably larger than before.

This was interpreted as an encouraging sign. The tree was now able to produce enough foliage to photosynthesise more effectively, even though it still did not produce significant extension growth during that season.

A closer inspection of the substrate revealed plenty of fine new roots.

The difficult task of simply keeping the tree alive appeared to be moving towards a more positive stage.

At the time, however, the future remained uncertain.

The possibility of a high air layer on the trunk, or even layering individual branches, was still being considered.

After everything the tree had already been through, there was also a temptation simply to leave it alone and enjoy its remarkable spring and autumn colour.

Another Autumn

The following year brought another display of seasonal colour.

In October 2012, the tree was photographed again as its foliage changed, with images taken approximately a week apart documenting the progression.

This recurring autumn transformation became one of the defining features of the tree.

Rather than being merely an attractive seasonal detail, it became part of the tree's identity.

The maple had survived a difficult period, and every autumn it seemed to demonstrate just how much vitality remained within it.

The Decision to Air Layer

By April 2013, the situation had changed.

After several years spent concentrating on restoring the tree's health, attention returned to the fundamental problem at the base of the trunk.

The rotting wood remained, there was slight inverse taper and large areas of the trunk had died back.

The tree had clearly experienced a difficult life.

A decision was therefore made to attempt an air layer.

Finding a suitable position for the air layer was not easy.

The extensive deadwood repeatedly interrupted the live circumference of the trunk, making it difficult to identify a clean section through which the tree could reliably produce roots.

Eventually, a suitable position was marked.

The bark was carefully removed and a clean upper edge was created.

The exposed heartwood once again revealed evidence of the tree's difficult past.

Building the Air Layer

Instead of using the conventional method of wrapping the air layer entirely in cling film, a flower pot was modified to fit around the trunk.

The pot was cut and part of its base removed so that it could sit around the trunk.

Once secured in place, it was filled with Sphagnum moss.

The top was then covered with cling film to help retain moisture.

The tree was left to develop a new root system.

The expectation was to inspect the result later in the year.

At this point, the tree had already survived several difficult stages.

But the most challenging part of the rescue was still ahead.

Air Layer Woe

By October 2013, it became clear that the air layer had not progressed as hoped.

Some roots had formed, but only in one area were they actually useful.

Other roots had appeared below the intended layer, while the tree had begun attempting to bridge the gap created by the removal of the bark.

The tree had effectively started reconnecting the live tissues across the approximately one-inch-wide ring that had been removed.

This was a remarkable demonstration of the tree's survival instinct—but it was exactly the opposite of what was wanted from the air layer.

The unwanted roots and bridging callus were removed.

More heartwood was then removed to make sure the tree could not simply bridge the gap again.

Rooting hormone was mixed with water to create a paste, which was applied to the areas where new roots were required.

The original moss was replaced with an akadama-based mixture containing a small amount of grit.

The air layer was rebuilt and the tree was left for another period of development.

It was no longer a simple case of waiting for roots.

The air layer had become a technical battle between the tree's natural tendency to reconnect itself and the bonsai objective of creating a completely new root system. (bonsaieejit.com)

At Last — New Roots

The air layer could have been removed earlier, but the decision was made to wait until the following spring, when the buds were beginning to swell.

By then, the tree had produced a considerable amount of new growth during the previous season, giving greater confidence that the second attempt had worked.

In February 2015, the air-layering container was finally removed.

The result was encouraging.

There was a good mass of new roots.

Even more importantly, each of the surviving live sections of the trunk had produced roots despite the extensive deadwood running through the tree.

The air layer had succeeded.

Inspection of the original root system revealed just how poor it had been.

The conclusion was striking: without the air layer, the tree might not have survived.

The operation had not simply improved the tree.

It had given it a future.

Healing the Hollow

The saw cut received additional work before the tree was planted.

The hollow running through the trunk was also beginning to roll over with callus.

Rather than leaving an open cavity where water could collect, the decision was made to treat and seal the hollow using wound putty followed by cut paste.

The intention was to encourage the area to heal naturally over time, eventually closing the opening.

The tree was then planted into a temporary wash hand basin, giving the newly rooted tree space and time to build momentum.

The transformation was remarkable.

Only a few years earlier, the tree had been fighting simply to survive.

Now it possessed a viable new root system.

The Character of Acer 'Arakawa'

Acer palmatum 'Arakawa', one of the distinctive cultivars of Japanese maple.

Japanese maples are among the most admired deciduous bonsai species because of their fine foliage, elegant branching and dramatic seasonal changes.

'Arakawa' is particularly interesting because of its bark.

Unlike many Japanese maples, which can retain relatively smooth bark for many years, Arakawa develops a rugged, cork-like texture that can give the tree an aged appearance relatively early in its life.

In this particular tree, that characteristic is combined with something much less conventional: extensive natural deadwood, a hollow trunk and a long section of shari.

The result is not a textbook example of what a Japanese maple bonsai is expected to look like.

It is much more individual.

The bark provides the impression of age.

The hollow tells the story of decay.

The deadwood records the damage the tree has survived.

And the roots created through air layering represent its second chance.

From Rescue to Bonsai

What makes the history of this maple particularly fascinating is that its development did not begin with styling.

There was no immediate focus on creating the perfect silhouette or selecting the ideal branch structure.

The first objective was survival.

The tree had to recover from poor cultivation, weak roots, rotting wood and years of decline before any meaningful bonsai development could take place.

Only after that did the possibility of creating a more refined tree become realistic.

The long rescue also changed the significance of the tree's imperfections.

The hollow trunk was not simply damage to be hidden.

The deadwood was not merely a problem.

The shari was not an inconvenience.

Together, they became part of the tree's identity.

A New Chapter

After its years of development under Bonsai Eejit and later Steve Shortt, the tree eventually became part of Steve's collection and was presented as part of The Art of Living Nature exhibition at Claregalway Castle.

Its exhibition history became another chapter in a story that had already begun many years earlier.

Today, the tree is part of the Connaught Bonsai collection.

For me, taking responsibility for a tree with such a documented history is particularly meaningful.

I am not starting the story of this maple...I am continuing it.

Everything that happened before it arrived here remains part of the tree: the poor roots, the damaged trunk, the hollow, the deadwood, the air layer, the failed first attempt, the new roots and the years of recovery.

None of those things can—or should—be separated from the tree's identity.

The Beauty of Time Written in Bark

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about this Acer 'Arakawa' is that almost every major feature visible today has a history behind it.

The rugged bark speaks of time.

The hollow speaks of decay.

The deadwood speaks of survival.

The new roots speak of recovery.

And the extraordinary autumn colour reminds us that, despite everything the tree has experienced, it continues to respond to every season with remarkable vitality.

This is one of the reasons I find bonsai so fascinating.

A bonsai can become a record of time.

Every scar, every piece of deadwood, every change in the trunk and every season leaves something behind.

This maple has already lived through several chapters before becoming part of the Connaught Bonsai collection.

Its story, however, is far from finished.

Historical Reference

Part of the historical information presented in this article has been reconstructed from the original bonsai diary documenting the tree's earlier development. The information and historical photographs are used with the kind permission of Ian Young (Bonsai Eejit).

Original documentation: Bonsai Eejit – Rescue Maple Air Layer Removal… at Last!

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This page is part of the ongoing documentation of this Acer 'Arakawa' and its journey through different hands, different stages of development and, ultimately, into the collection of an Irish Bonsai Association (IBA) member.

As the tree continues to develop, this page will be updated with new photographs, seasonal changes and future stages of refinement.

Like all bonsai, it is not a finished object.

It is a living history — one that continues to be written with every passing season.