That's why I hope more people will share their tips or experiences in growing this cultivar successfully. Whether it's due to the environment/location or specific care required to grow them successfully (so that people don't buy them if it's not suitable). I grow mine (a grafted plant) in a pot on the patio next to a wall very close to the house (heated throughout winter). The tree is left outside in winter (with shade netting to prevent scorched during summer) and has not been exposed to a hard freeze or snow so far (winter here is very mild due to the coastal area anyway).
Perhaps that is the clue with this cultivar, a very 'temperate' climate. In your part of the UK there are plants grown of the exotic type that would stand no chance at all anywhere else in the UK. It will be interesting to here others thoughts. Don't get me wrong I do like this maple, whats not to like.
I hear ya D. The one I have have been giving me the blues. Fingers crossed for another year of survival. So far so good. It might end up a greenhouse tree. @TY_jmple I would love to see a pic of your tree.
@TY_jmple I would love to see a pic of your tree.[/QUOTE] I posted them earlier in page 2. It's still small but thriving. Will take a couple more years to grow into a 'tree' if it continues to grow. Acer palmatum 'Taylor'
I purchased “Taylor” in 2018 prior to learning all the sad stories about this variety. The photo of it with super full lovely variegation was 2018 when I brought it home from the protected environment of a greenhouse. You can see it was heavily variegated that year. Soon after I learned of its weak nature and just decided to document its growth for as long as it managed to survive. Every year since, this tree has leafed out predominantly full pink. It would hold the pink until it aged by early or mid summer into mostly cream white leaves and a few sparse variegated green leaves. I have it placed in the full but bright shade of the north side of my home and inevitably the cream white leaves would burn and it would look dreadful for the last of the summer and fall. We joke that Taylor likes to suffer for her beauty much like “Akane”… Every year the tree put on small whippy growth but each spring I was losing large lower branches to die back. It was clear the health and vigor of the tree was deteriorating. How could it have not? All those white leaves and dripping them early just makes it even harder to keep this Prima Donna alive. In 2020 I decided to try using some Frog Farm fertilizer since I had never fed the tree and it has been potted in a 1:1 pumice and bark mix for fast drainage. 2021 the tree exploded and put on a ton of whippy growth. It showed some variegated leaves in the early spring like it had originally looked at time of purchase. It held more of its variegated leaves into the fall but it still just looked rough. It had a couple plain green leaves too but I chose to leave them on to see if that helped the vigor of the tree. Well as you can see, this year/2022/ a large branch, at the bottom front, grew very thick but is covered with what I expect to be plain green leaves in a larger group than last year. My plan is to monitor the tree’s health this year and then begin to rub out green leaves to avoid full reversion. My best guess is that some green leaves just need to remain. I have not found any info on if Taylor actually reverts to full green like many variegated varieties but have noticed that in past years the few fully green leaves that were new growth never returned the following year. I included a close up of some the past green leaves that never reverted and were seen originally the first year in 2018. I shared all these pics and the long post for folks who had asked for info on longer lived and larger grown Taylors. This tree is a little over 6’ this year with a growing width at the top of about the same. I hope this extra info may help folks.
Good afternoon @Sancha and welcome to the maples forum. I have been in the same boat with Taylor. I gave up after my 3rd one died. I'm impressed at your perseverance with yours. Spring is definitely Taylor's time of the year, hence why you see it advertised everywhere at this time of the year. Sadly I believe this to be a weak cultivar and I say sadly as it is a stunner for a few weeks. Great photos of the history of your Taylor and good dialogue to go along with them. As far as feeding is concerned, IMO I would not do it any later than May. Too much whippy new growth later on in the year will end up being hit hard by early Autumn frosts and you do not want to weaken this one any more ... I would wait until Summer, then remove the reverted branches. All variegated maples revert at some time, so it's necessary to keep an eye on this. I wish you all the luck in keeping it alive. Well done !!
Hey thanks for the response and the helpful info in the fertilizer schedule and removal of reverted branches. Regarding the the removal of reverted branches I have a question. The possible reversion is occurring at odd places on the new branch. Some Leaves and smaller branches have the full green but other sections have what are looking to be full pink or variegated leaves on the same new branch. Would it be better to simply snip out the full green leaves on the branch rather than carve up the branch that seems to putting out both types of leaves? The branch itself is pretty impressive. It even has green and pink swirls in the bark like kotobuki or oridono nishiki. This is my first variegated tree that has reverted leaves so I apologize for questioning if it seems elementary.
Thats not a problem, I was only concerned re bleeding at this time of the year. So yes do remove the few leaves at this time. Don't worry about the pettiole. You can leave it or remove it. I do remove btw.
My 4th year and counting (hope the temperate climate here will keep it going for longer). Enjoying this rather fragile tree whilst it lasts. Quite some die backs as usual but the soft pink leaves really make this tree a stunner!
New one from late last year. Very tall and whippy, having read online I fear it’ll be short lived but couldn’t help myself. Tiny leaves currently and beautiful pink.
Karl, do you get pretty good heat where you are? Your 'Taylor' looks fabulous. I rec'd one by accident last fall, so didn't pay for it (I have already struck out with Taylor 3x) but it seemed a good looking young plant, nice root, well healed graft etc. It started coming out this year during the warm weather, and then just stopped growing. It looks terrible now, I've cut back and there are a few sickly leaves, but that's it. It has been very cold, I'm wondering if, like some of the other pink cultivars, it just needs hot weather.
Thank you! We still have cool temperatures here in Flanders, Belgium 8b. It drops to single digits during the night - which is unusual. It's my first year for Taylor (well, most of the acers I have actually); so we'll see in the Summer, when it gets really toasty. Mine is in the shade, and is behind a wooden fence to keep away from the winds. In this pic, the Taylor is just beside the pagoda, and the vantage point of that photo is facing south (wooden fence at the east). Last winter, it stayed in an unheated toolshed that has a transparent roofing in the middle -- works perfectly like a greenhouse for me.
My 'Taylor' finally let go this year. Im surprised it lasted this long with the weak growth it had the last three years.