Tree

[PantherVeileD]

So I have a japanese maple tree and consider getting another tree. I want a small to medium size tree. So anyone have any suggestions or give me an idea or what kind of tree I should get? Thinking about getting into fruits. Maybe lemon or cherry? Thanks

 

[Syn]

Some fruits aren't good for chameleons, so you might want to check and make sure they aren't bad for them first. I'm not the plant person though, sorry.

 

[Rocky]

for your chameleons or outside? I would say a lemon tree if you are putting it in a cage. I dont know about toxicity? but they are really leafy and have a lot of branches and you can usually get them at a small size. I have a 4 ft one that had fruit on it last fall and my cham likes to climb on it. it isnt in his cage though so i dont know about that..

The lemon tree i keep in a large pot btw

 

[desultadox]

I'm pretty sure all citrus trees are pretty toxic. Most of them are, at least. Do you currently have the japanese maple with a chameleon? As far as I know it's a slow-growing sort of pricey plant. I wouldn't want my chameleon to ruin it ;p

 

[PantherVeileD]

Thanks for responding. Well the japanese maple i have is a STICK! Its in a medium pot outside my backyard. I like the lemon tree and was considering that. No this is for my back yard or my skyroom. These tree will be for my cham to bask outside in the sun. I am on my mobile phone so cutting it short

 

[Jason4045]

Japanese Maples are some of the most beautiful trees around. I personally like to see them as Bonsais (small potted plant). I got into Bonsai trees for a while. They produce some pretty amazing color changes throughout the seasons They are slow growers and require some extra care. You can however keep one potted, yet if planted in the ground they can grow up to 25' During the fall they will turn a deep red followed by a full leaf drop during the winter months. Leafs return in the spring and the cycle starts again. Sorry for the rant on the tree you already own, but I absolutely love Japanese Maples.


Back to the topic: Most fruit trees are going to be a haven for bugs unless sprayed with pestacides, along with all the ants I'd grow a few large Hibiscuses in the yard for basking on sunny summer days. They are pretty hardy and produce great looking flowers. Trim them narrow so they will grow taller and your good to go. They can take temp drops into the 30's and are hard to overwater. It's kinda a bullet proof plant in my opinion. Plant a large ficus and 2-3 hibiscus around it for a cool looking basking hang out.


Heres a few Japanese Maple Bonsai that I always drooled over....They are far older then most of us on the forum!!

 

[Hilikus311]

Yo what is the size of those bonsai? im guessing about 21"?

 

[Jason4045]

They are taller then that, I'm guessing 24-32". Most people think 8-12" trees when they think of bonsais, yet most are thinking about the common Juniper bonsais they sell everywhere including the mall and wal-mart. The term Bonsai refers to miniature potted tree. When your dealling with some trees like pines and cypress...etc that can grow well over 125' tall, a 5' tall tree can still be considered a bonsai. The key is to constantly trim the roots to keep the tree small yet allow it to age like a real tree would age in its natural setting. They often use wire to tie down branches to create a wide full bodied tree. The trees are judged by age, structure, and overall semetry. You basically want the look of that robust 150' bald cypress, in a 3-4' version, in pot.




Sorry about all the off topic, wasn't trying to hijack your thread!

 

[Chamero]

Speaking o Hibiscus... could you explain how to properly trim them...mines not growing the way i want it to.. thanks

 

[luevelvet]

I've tried Strawberry Guava trees with no success at all. What I mean by that was, our Meller's didn't like it in t he least. Maybe he knew something I didn't when I bought but he certainly did not like it. I ended up with a hibiscus in his cage and I use an old established schefflera outside when we free range him on the weekends.

I trim our hibiscus almost monthly. It grows rapidly. The trick to it is pick the major branches you want to keep and visualize the end result. prune around the major branches, leaving some young sprouts to fill in the gaps etc. It's a little intimidating at first but once you get the hang of it, you'll start wanting to keep bonsai!

Fruit trees typically don't do well indoors. They may under the lights of a cage, but young fruit trees aren't as strong and hardy like older larger individuals.

Good luck,

Luis