Identification: Mislabelled Acer Hime Shojo

Yesterday I managed a short and very cautious trip out to a nearby garden centre. I went to go a look for a new Rhododendron but as always was drawn to the Acer section. I saw this and as It was only £14.99 I couldn’t resist. It was labelled as Hime Shojo but looks much more like a reticulated variety to me. Different from anything I already have.

Does it look familiar to anyone?

Thanks

 

Hi Luke, good to see you back, 'missed your enthusiasm on the forum this week'.

It has all the familiar signs that it is indeed Hime Shojo. 'The very deep reds are the give away'. Definitely a Matsumurae group maple.
£14.99, now you do have a bargain there, I'm a bit jealous!!!! Well more than a bit, Lol

 

Thanks Acerholic. Yes I have been quite busy this last week. And maybe in a bit of a sulk after my babies got an absolute battering from the wind. I haven’t seen this one before so I wasn’t sure. I had a quick google of it but all images showed the red leaves only. The younger leaves look very pale, then look similar to Aka Shigatatsu Sawa and then the older ones look like my sun-fried Ariadne. Interesting. Either way I am out of my sulk lol.

 

@Luke’s Maples, good to hear Luke.
Yes we got hit by two frosts and 40 mph winds down here. I was a bit grumpy myself. Let's all enjoy some lovely Spring 'May' weather now.

IMO your new maple has too dark a red leaf for Aka Shigitatsu Sawa. I think it's correctly labelled tbh.
It will look wonderful amongst the lime greens in Summer sun !!! I like it a lot.

 

Thanks

 

@ROEBUK would you mind taking a look. Do you have Hime Shojo?

 

@Luke’s Maples, Hi Luke I'm going to change my mind on this one. Just looked at it on my PC rather than my phone. It is 'not' Hime Shojo.
The leaves are too large for a Hime.
You said earlier that you thought it was Aka Shigitatsu Sawa, I still don't think it's that.
I've just gone through all mine and I have nothing as dark as those leaves of yours in photo 4.

 

Yes I agree that is isn’t Aka. The leaves are at 3 different stages and all look like different plants. I’m hoping some more people have a look at this thread and maybe I might get an answer. Unfortunately your ‘cheering ourselves up’ thread is so popular that everything else is getting bypassed lol.

 

It has been grafted so it makes me think it’s not just a random seedling...

 

@Luke’s Maples, photos 4 and 5 are throwing me tbh Luke. Nomenclature, so difficult on lost tags !!!!
I will keep searching, it's a challenge, lol

 

@Luke’s Maples, have a look at Reticulatum gold online. Your first photo is very similar.

 

Wow.. spot on!

 

Gold Reticulated with sunburn

 

@Luke’s Maples , Good morning Luke, it took a while but looks like we got there. I do like it btw.

 

I'm not sure guys. New leaves emerge green on 'Gold Reticulatum' and they are red on the mislabeled one. Here is a closer look.

 

Old growth on 'Gold Reticulatum' turns dark green but not on the mislabeled one.

 

@LoverOfMaples, good morning, hmmm, more head scratching. Do you know I woke up through the night thinking about it, Lol
I think we are getting closer though!!?
D (Acerholic)

 

Gm my friend. What time is it there @Acerholic?

 

0620hrs the sun is shining, the birds are singing and my maples look happy. Not a bad start to the day.

 

Sounds lovely. I'm headed down now to get a few hours. I'm 5 hrs behind you. I'll be waking up to see what kind of identification progress we have made later.

 

@LoverOfMaples, get a good nights sleep, good talking to you again. hopefully we will find @Luke’s Maples tree name by the time you come back online.

 

@Luke’s Maples, I have just been online at the Solid plants shop to view their list of maples they sell. There is nothing obvious. I'll keep looking.

 

Sounds like a plan @Acerholic and it's always a pleasure. Talk soon.

 

Good morning all. Thank you for taking the time to look into this for me, I really appreciate it. I know it doesn’t really matter if I know the correct name or not and that I’ll still enjoy the beauty of it. But, I do feel I would be happier knowing, if that makes sense?

Anyway, I think the conditions the garden centre had it in may have affected the colouring of the leaves. Judging by the upper older leaves it looks like it got too much sun. I think this may have caused the reddening of the newer leaves too. Of course I may be wrong lol.

The shape and colour of the leaves in the picture comparison are so close and then with the greening and reticulation... We are getting warmer.

 

@Luke’s Maples, to start with 'any time' Luke.
Secondly I think your right, perhaps give it a couple of months to settle down in good care and photograph it again.
The varying colours of different leaves have flummoxed me tbh, but that doesn't take too much these days, Lol