I’ve had my heart set on a paperbark maple and found this one at my local nursery for $499.
The sales guy said it had been sitting in that pot for the last 2 years with no interested buyers so he made an offer of $100.
I don’t have enough tree knowledge to know if this one is in good enough shape to buy.
Any thoughts would be appreciated!
by ashmetal
4 Comments
I’m not familiar with this kind of tree specifically but I have had good luck with buying the “sad ones” but I live in the desert and most desert trees are very hearty and will just continue growing. I’d look at the roots and see how bad they are. You have a couple that need to be trimmed to keep it from strangling itself but idk how bad that root ball is and if that’s something you’re interested in trying to unravel. Also regular water and root stimulator has been key to my runts making it. I use Mykos root enhancer.
I would spend more for a slightly smaller one that hasn’t been pruned so harshly and the roots are less bound up.
Paperbark, for me at least, really shine due to their kinda perfect structure…and their bark obviously. This one looks like it will have a hard time developing that beautiful structure and it’s a gamble with the roots to know if it’ll even thrive once planted.
a 5 year old tree for $100 is a steal
Tree of that size in that little container will have its roots growing in a circle. You can fix them but it will be a pain and you’d need to do it while it’s dormant.
I would pass on this one and buy one that is dug up from the ground. With root-bound trees they might look good for a few years but then they die: [https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/10994418_web1_copy_bird-of-paradise-dead-girdling-roots.jpg](https://www.reviewjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/10994418_web1_copy_bird-of-paradise-dead-girdling-roots.jpg)
If you do buy it, I would wash away all the soil and see how the roots look like, before you plant it.