Acer buergerianum - private collection (seed grown). Photographs taken in March 2002, April 2002; and in August 2001, September 2001 when the tree had some variegation.
Acer buergerianum - October 14, 2005 - Jardin des plantes - Paris The leaves are still green but some more sun exposed branches give red leaves sooner. This tree was full of thousands of seeds.
Hi Laurie, I don't think yours is A. buergerianum - it has small basal lobes (making somewhat five-lobed leaves), serrated margins, and wide-spreading (over 50°) main lobes. True A. buergerianum is three-lobed with strongly forward-pointing lobes (hence the name 'Trident Maple'), and entire-margined. I guess it is a hybrid of some sort, if grown from arboretum-collected seed.
There is already a thread in the Maples forum where the variability of acer buergerianum is discussed. It would be interesting if people growing this acer post pictures to see how large is this variability. I wonder what is the true form of the leaves. http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=5257&highlight=buergerianum
It's just because it's a youngster, trident maple seedlings often look like that. Minimalist description of Acer buergerianum buergerianum in Maples for Gardens even includes a mention of this: "juvenile leaves often very different from adult leaves". Other popular genera (Phyllostachys, Rosa) produce rather monogamous-looking seedlings that differentiate with age as well.
From The US National Arboretum's Bonsai Collection; May 2007. First photo is from 1875 (skinnier trunk). Next, 1975 (much thicker trunk).
Those photo's are of different bonsai and neither was taken in 1875, they didn't have colour photography then.
