last summer i purchased a couple of maples from home depot. if you find the right tree, you can get an interesting variety in need of a little shaping, and already a fair size for a very reasonable price. i’ve purchased about 7 trees, and have been very happy with what i have............until now. it’s not that i’m unhappy, i was just expecting something different. one tree i bought was labeled as Ogon Sarasa. with the description on the label, it should be a very interesting tree. unfortunately from what the emerging leaves are doing, it looks to me like it’s a golden full moon maple. any photos that i’ve found online for an Ogon Sarasa look nothing like what i have. can anyone confirm that i do in fact have a golden full moon maple?
Definitely looks like a shirasawanum. Another one to look at considering the similar name is Acer shirasawanum 'Ogura yama'.
Does look a lot like A. s. Aureum to me at this stage too, but I would be very hesitant to go with that until you have spent a year with it to make sure it fits.
this is an example i found on the internet of an Ogon Sarasa. there is a very different shape to the leaf compared to what i have. but either way, i could now have 2 golden full moon maples instead of just the 1 i had already purchased.Ogon sarasa at Mendocino Maples
Ogon sarasa unfolds similar in color to tsukushi gata in the spring with less noticeable green central veins, but the foliage changes as the season progresses. The color is what I would call a brick red in the spring as apposed to the burgundy red of many. It becomes more of a bronze than most others as well, and the fall color is often more orange than scarlet. The image shown on Mendocino looks more pink than what I am accustomed to. If I have time I'll see if I can get a picture of the specimen at the nursery to post. Your tree is most definitely not Ogon sarasa. Time will tell if it is indeed an Aureum.
Sorry for the double post but here are the Ogon sarasa pictures. The first image shows Ogon sarasa on the right with Monrovia Bloodgoods behind for color comparison. The second is a back lit image that shows some of the coral red tone that is seen as a result of the yellow pigmentation mixing with the reds. The third image shows the slight yellow veining working its way in from the midrib.
Since when can you find anything other than Sango Kaku and some random dissectum at Home Depot??? And since when do they sell plants that small? I've never seen anything other than over-fertilized huge trees there...must be a Canadian thing haha!
the home depot's in vancouver have your generic red and green lace leaf maples, but i've been able to pick up a some interesting trees such as the katsura, koto no ito, and now possibly a golden full moon maple.
