Acer palmatum 'Olsen's Frosted Strawberry'

Acer palmatum 'Olsens Frosted Strawberry'

A new palmatum cultivar discovered as a seedling from a Aka shigitatsu sawa by Harry Olsen. Leaves emerge with strawberry cream colors and then change into a lovely variegate. It is still under evaluation, but growth habits appear to be similar to Aka shigitatsu sawa. The leaves are more narrow lobed than Aka shigitatsu sawa. Sun / part shade.

 

Re: Acer palmatum Olsens Frosted Strawberry

Nice plant, bad name.

 

Re: Acer palmatum Olsens Frosted Strawberry

My understanding is that the plant was named under observation and in collection by Olsen as it is currently named. When the collection was purchased upon his passing it was agreed or promised to his wife that a certain number of plants would be introduced from his observation collection under their existing names. The gentleman introducing the plant is not crazy about the name either--but it is an honorable tribute to his sudden passing.

 

Re: Acer palmatum Olsens Frosted Strawberry

I'm wondering if some of these Ghost type, look-like-they-were-sprayed-with-herbicide color variants that are appearing recently are sharing a virus.

 

Re: Acer palmatum Olsens Frosted Strawberry

I would think that a virus is involved with many, if not all, of the variegated maples. But, it does make one wonder if there was not a chemical or hormone introduced to produce some of these fantastic colors. Ron, if that was the case, wouldn't many of these plants be coming about as branch sports not seedlings? I dont' know much about that sort of things, but it would be hard to modify seedlings chemically. I think The nurseryman from Eastfork mentioned a branch sport on his Grandma Ghost. A mutation of this sort would be quite unstable and account for some variability in the offspring. Then again, any mutation, natural or otherwise, could be unstable regardless.

In the case of this plant, Olsen's, I have heard the story a couple of times and I am pretty certain that Olsen monitored many many seedlings to select the ones that he did. I am almost certain that this is a legitmate seedling selection. What I do not know is what percentage of seedlings from Aka shigitatsu sawa would be reticulated and how many some one would have to sow to find unique-enought maple. There were dozens of numbered reticulated seedlings in this collection, if not near a hundered, and those were the good ones deserving of numbers.

I have attached a photo of a plant I got of Olsen's Frosted last spring. It was starting its second year after grafting. I will say that it did not produce those colors this year, but not much did, so I will wait for next year. It did a bit better coming out of Eugene that after a hot year here and a screwy spring on top of that.
It is next to a small Shigitatsu sawa.

 

Re: Acer palmatum Olsens Frosted Strawberry

Ron, all reticulation comes from a genetic virus, that can be passed from the parent plant, as is the ghosts.

 

Re: Acer palmatum Olsens Frosted Strawberry

When I tried to interest someone in planting a "Brilliantissimum" (actually 'Prinz Handjery', I found out later) sycamore maple in the arboretum park they were developing they replied with words to the effect that they didn't want to bring any such color forms into the collection because they were virused and could infect their Japanese maples.

 

Re: Acer palmatum Olsen's Frosted Strawberry

For the past 2 years I have had two Olson's Frosted Strawberry trees, both small and seemingly slow growers. I'm rather smitten by the vivid spring color and veining, though I've found one has to have the camera in hand almost every day because the color changes so rapidly. It's a lovely cultivar, no matter what its name. This particular photo was taken May 7, 2005. The 2006 year was not as vibrant, due to the huge amount of wet weather last year.

 

Re: Acer palmatum Olsens Frosted Strawberry

Mapledia,
Where did you (or anyone, for that matter) find your Olsen's Frosted Strawberries? I've wanted one for a while, and can't seem to find a website/nursery that has one.

David

 

Re: Acer palmatum Olsens Frosted Strawberry

Mendocino Maples will have them by mid summer, click the picture to go there now.

 

Re: Acer palmatum Olsens Frosted Strawberry

Beautiful! David

 

Here is 'Olsen's frosted strawberry' in spring. The coloration is somewhere between the spring show of 'Purple ghost' and 'Kasagiyama', but with smaller leaves from what I've seen. The veins seem to remain visible longer than purple ghost since it darkens to purple with time, but the pinkish orangy color remains longer than kasagiyama. I'll update as the season progresses.

 

That's quite a pretty plant! I really like this cultivar...please keep the pictures coming--I haven't been able to find a decent number of pictures of this variety. It seems to be very collectible and rare. Thanks!
David

 

Re: Acer palmatum 'Olsens Frosted Strawberry'

I just got an 'Olsens Frosted Strawberry' today. I've been looking at it in a local nursery for about three months and finally got myself to pay the outrageous price they wanted for it. Oh well. I have a problem. Fantastic colors. It will be a fun one to watch over the seasons.

Regards,
Cirque

 

Re: Acer palmatum 'Olsens Frosted Strawberry'

Dear Cirque,

Yes, they are expensive, but they are worth every penny. Nothing in your garden will look like this cultivar. It's beautiful all year round, and the spring color will knock your socks off. I have two Olson's Frosted Strawberries, purchased about 5-6 years ago before most people knew about them. I've given scions to two major nurseries in the past couple years because I felt this plant is so extraordinary that I didn't want it to die out. You have made an important purchase, and I think you will forget about the cost very soon.

Mapledia

 

Re: Acer palmatum 'Olsens Frosted Strawberry'

Francie at Eastwoods has some that will be ready for shipment soon. I pre-paid for one, and I think it was $55. Of course, these will be gone VERY fast...

K4

 

Re: Acer palmatum 'Olsens Frosted Strawberry'

I am special ordering it from someone this summer. He is going to do some grafts and is willing to sell me one if and when the grafts are stable enough to ship. I'll probably get it next spring sometime. Beautiful colors Cirque, I loved the new/old growth contrast. Awesome!

David

 

Re: Acer palmatum 'Olsens Frosted Strawberry'

From the pics posted it does not quite come out the 'frosted' part of the name. This comes from blotches of strawberry red in the leaves in a random pattern which contrasts with the regular reticulatum pattern. This is hard to catch but the first pic (taken early May) shows some of that. The others, taken also early May, complement what has already been posted.

Gomero

 

Re: Acer palmatum 'Olsens Frosted Strawberry'

I have a beautiful little tree purchased from Mendocino Maples. The new growth on it most closely resembles the pictures in the first post, with the older leaves taking on an almost olive-green/gray coloring. It receives mostly-direct sun for a couple hours in the morning, from roughly 9:00 am to noon.

It's a very lovely cultivar.

 

I really am taken by the color of your clone of 'Olsen's Frosted Starwberry'; how did you come-by this specimen? Do you have it in partial shade or just morning sun or what? Please let me know where you bought it. Thank you.

 

Jerry,

I bought my Olsen's from Eastwoods Nursery http://www.japanesemaples.com/

Francie is wonderful to work with, but I had to get on a waiting list for this one, which normally she doesn't do. This one is hard to come by. You also might try Mendocino Maples.

 

The plant pictures was purchased from Eastwood nurseries if I remember correctly. It is a small #1 and may not be showing it's true colors as of yet. It was given some morning sun followed by filtered shade for the afternoon. The amount of shade at the time was minimal because the deciduous trees shading it in the afternoon hadn't leafed out yet. This picture was taken only days after initial leaf out, and shows a bit more of a orange hue due to the greenhouse plastic in the background. It has a bit more of a rose hue when not backlit, and the true colors are a bit difficult to capture in my experience.

 

The Mendocino Maples site says they have 1 year old Olsen's grafts in stock. I would jump on it!

 

Hello, I found out that Essence Of The Tree has 'Olsen's Frosted Strawberry' on sale for $48. I was told they were 3 years old and not grafts. This seemed like a really good deal, and wanted to let people interested in this Maple know.

 

Mine is opening up beautifully. Wish the camera phone would focus better. If I have time, and weather permitting, I may take another photo tomorrow and swap it out.

First photo from March

Edit: added photo taken April 8th, 2010

Edit 2: added two photos taken 4/14/2010