Following our visit during the 6th International Maple Symposium, the Maple Society contributed this little Acer caudatifolium to the Conservatoire Botanique National de Brest. Kawakami Maple is a rare tender maple with dark leaves that set off a brilliant green, slightly striped bark. It has an upright habit, reaching 5-6m in cultivation, though larger in the mountains of Taiwan, where it is found between 2500-3000m of altitude. In the mild climate of Brest it may remain evergreen. The Botanical Garden of Brest is the oldest botanical conservation garden in France, and their work conserving tens of thousands of botanical species is irreplaceable. We hope that this small addition to their maple collection will serve in some way to let them know how much their work is appreciated. -E
