This maple has very unusual leaves that look like a hornbeam. Hence the name "Hornbeam Maple". Small tree with rich green leaves that turn to yellow in the fall.
Probably reflects limited availability of suitable pollen in cultivation, rather than a characteristic of the species.
Carpinifolium is dioecious, Which means the sexes are seperate. A male plant must be nearby to pollinate a female plant. If the seeds (from a female flower) do not firm up (they are "empty") and become viable it is because the flowers were not pollinated. To help faciltate pollination, a male branch can be grafted onto a female plant to help produce viable seeds. Or... you can hand pollinate...by dusting the female flower with a male flower.
Acer carpinifolium - private collection. Late May and mid-October; the brown leaves do indeed remain on the tree through the winter and until the new leaves emerge.
Acer carpinifolium - Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle, accessions 1953 and 1992. Native to mountain forests of Japan and reported to be hardy to USDA Z4.
Acer carpinifolium - UWBG Arboretum, accessions 1953 and 1999. Interestingly, the 1953 specimen was fully leafed out and with fruit in mid-April, while the young 1999 specimen did not leaf out until May (fourth photo May 11), although both are in sun.
Whatsup Ernie . I think we meet in Louisville at Yewdell . I was the other person below the age of 35 . ha ha . I love carpinifolium , but can be dang hard to convince somebody they need it . You got to want it . ahhhhh....'Esveld Select' ( insert drool ) There are at least 3 floating around this state .
Young example that had some damage in shipping, leaving it somewhat lop-sided but luckily that hasn't inhibited it from putting out lots of leaves this year!
I collected samaras in October 2024 but stratified them only in late december. They were the first ones to to begin to germinate, in February. I put some of them in pots and left them outside. In spite of light frosts in the morning, most of them seem to develop nicely :
Well done, and lucky you! Because carpinifolium is "mostly"dioecious, and fairly rare, it's unusual to find oppositely sexed individuals growing close enough to make viable seed, outside of Japan anyway. That's why the seed is usually parthenocarpic. I say "mostly" because sometimes a branch will take on the other sex from the rest of the tree. It's rare but has been observed (though not by me). Cheers, -E
With what? It is the only member of Section Indivisa Pax. I have never heard of a hybrid. I do have a couple small 'Esveld Select', but it seems more like a mutant than a hybrid.
