When all my other maples were leafing out, it seemed that all of Red Pygmy's extremities had died back, but then it started showing signs of new growth along the trunk and on most of the branches. I patiently waited for the new leaves to emerge. Initially they looked like the linearilobum leaves of Red Pygmy, but gradually it became clear they were something else. All of this growth is above the grafting point. In some places there's a mixture of linearilobum and palmatum leaves. Would anyone care to comment? Thanks very much, Samara Photo 1: one of the new leaves Photo 2: a combination of linearilobum & palmatum leaves Photo 3: shows the dieback on the extremities Photo 4: shows last year's foliage
You're not the only one experiencing this oddity - my Beni otake has decidedly un-linearlobum leaves, except for a couple branches very low on the trunk (last picture). Another member from Texas posted that his Beni otake too - that he's had for 5 years I think - is doing the same thing. Could it be from the excessive cold???
The linearlobums are known to do this, not sure of the exact cause and whether the cold was a factor. It is mostly noted on young strongly growing shots; the next year, when the wood is older, the leaves on that branch will emerge straplike; it is not a permanent reversion. Thinking about it a little more, the cold damage may have resulted in only young fresh shoots growing from a limited number of budding points and that may be why this expression is seen.
Maplesandpaws & maf, Thanks very much for your replies. I'm relieved that the straplike foliage will most likely return. I've grown very fond of Red Pygmy in the two years I've had it. Samara
Very interesting maf... I know on my Aekan Ie's, some of the new leaves (ie, on the new shoots from this spring) are larger and 'thicker' than those on older shoots/branches. This I know about, and fully expect. What I find interesting, like Samara with his Red Pygmy, is that the vast majority of the leaves on my Beni otake are fully palmate, not just larger linearlobum. And also this spring, it is fuller than I've seen it before (this is my second spring with it). Last year, while many leaves were palmate, probably an equal number were obviously straplike, even though some were thicker while others were thinner. I've attached a picture from late summer last year - you can see how much sparser the tree was than it is thus far this year. Hopefully if I've had such a good growth spurt out of it, that will mean the vast majority of the leaves will be correct next year.
I just picked up a Red Pygmy this weekend and found three of the palmatum leaves on one of the branches.