Today I was at a nursery in Toronto area looking for some perennials on my spring "to buy" list. By chance I stumbled into the tree area and I was bowled over by the wonderful selection of excellent Japanese Maple specimens. I spoke with one of the owners and he estimates they stock approximately 90 varieties of JM in a season. In any event although I was not in the market for any more trees I was impressed with the bones and colour of a singleton JM. Looking at the tag it was a "Ruby Stars". It was a beautiful little tree...even at the nursery. The leaf colour and veining right now for this specimen was striking. I didn't buy it but I did put it on hold until I learned more about it. It appears there is some thought that it is 'simply' a re-badged "Beni Hoshi"? I am hoping you have some experience with this particular tree.
I just got a small little 4'' sample here in Portland but it's labled as "Beni Hoshi" so I can not say much but I've posted a picture here http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=6966
Yes I do. A lot actually. But everyone's taste is different... some of my other favorites are: -Ukigumo -Alpenweiss -Red Friligree -"Butterfly" (I forgot what the japanese name for it is) -Seiryu -A. Shirasawanum 'Mr Sun' -A S. "Autumn Moon" -Pendulum Julian I was very excited to have found beni hoshi because it was one of the very first j. Maple that caught my attention years ago but I could not find it anywhere
Stock of some size offered under the name here in the past had a rather coarse foliage aspect - that is what stood out about it, in comparison with numerous other purple-leaved forms.
I can't speak for this variety. But I can say that a Japanese maple with great form is priceless, regardless of the variety. If you saw it and fell in love, then I say go for it! Keep in mind there will always be the latest and greatest variety out there that everyone wants. But at the end of the day, some of my favorite trees in our collection, I bought because I fell in love with the form. Spring and fall colors are short lived, the hype over a new variety will fade, but a great form is long lasting.
JT1, yours is an excellent post. I am tossing and turning thinking about this potential purchase. There is a one day sale on Wednesday which would give me 20% off. But cost isn't the issue. If I didn't have two small already purchased JM it would be an easy decision but there are 2, albeit very small JMs waiting to go in the ground in my small backyard (OFStrawberry + Brandt's Dwarf) and I actually have only room for *1* of them! Is there a "FOR SALE" subforum in botanicalgarden.ubc.ca? ;)
When I have a tree or variety that I can't find a place in the landscape, it goes in a nice ceramic pot. Then it opens up areas that would otherwise be off limits. It can be placed on the patio, porch, or landing. Or the pot can be placed among an area of ground cover. You can play around with design ideas, using pot color and form to compliment both the tree and the surrounding area. Or go with a nice color that contrasts the surrounding plantings to make it a point of interest in the garden. It can also open up an opportunity to add more height, where the tree would be shorter and blend in if it were planted in the ground. Use the extra 20% savings towards a nice pot. Just some food for thought…
Thanks again for another worthwhile suggestion....definitely doable. They would be my first potted JMs. I will need to investigate the "ins and outs" of potting maples.
I forgot to mention, you can use a nice ground cover in the pot to help keep the roots cool. Just stay away from aggressive competing varieties. For example, a couple of years ago I found this very low and dense sedum. It's ice blue and pink in color. Only about an inch tall. I paired it with my hana matoi. The ice blue is a great contrast and the pink helped pull out the pink variegation in the hana matoi leaves. I always look for opportunities to be creative and have fun with container combinations.
I picked it up this afternoon. It is 34 inches in height (of course from the top of the wood container to the top of the tree).
When I got home I noticed this tag previously covered by the foliage. Clearly these leaves are not variegated. So I can assume that for this tree this tag is a misprint?
The nursery man from whom I bought this tree claims that "Ruby Stars" from Buchholz & Buchholz are not "Ben Hoshi".
Yes. Very strange to have two so very different trees named on the same label??? Sagara nishiki is nothing like Ruby Stars or Beni hoshi.
This tag was generated by the retail nursery as their name is on one end of it. They clearly made an error. In any event what do you think about the actual specimen I purchased based on the pictures and my description?
I very much like the pictured tree. I don't have the direct experience of 'Beni hoshi' and 'Ruby Stars' to say whether your specimen is one or the other or both.
I think it’s a really nice looking tree! Here is a link to buchholz description of 'Ruby Stars’ with pictures to compare: http://www.buchholznursery.com/plant_page.html?id=cc743 Here is their description of 'Beni hoshi' with pictures for comparison: http://www.buchholznursery.com/plant_page.html?id=d23d1 Then of course, you will see the tree you purchased is defiantly not 'Sagara nishiki': http://www.buchholznursery.com/plant_page.html?id=cc749
Thanks for the links "JT1". The noticeable difference in the written description is with respect to the size. My just bought specimen is almost the maximum size of a "Ruby Stars". I am wondering what experience any of you have re the mature size of the dwarf variety "Ruby Stars" or "Beni Hoshi".
Your tree looks the same as my Ruby Stars, from Bucholz. I have had it for three years. I had to move it from the full shade. It defintely needs some sun to color. Give this one some time, this is the first year it looks like your picture. Quite twiggy. I thought it was synonymous with ben hoshi.
