One of our new Akane in July. A few weeks ago this guy was being test grown out in the ground in full sun. He ended up getting the same spots on him as Gomeros. We dug him up and put him in the greenhouse and continued to water him daily. Now he has all this wonderful new growth coming on that is void of any brown splotches.
Similar to my last post for 'Amber Ghost'. I'd love to find one in the lower mainland/Vancouver. Really impressive that a google search for both cultivars points to the UBC Botanical Garden forum as the first choice link.
I just bought one last year and had it in a container. It developed the same problems that have been mentioned, plus there was some dieback. I had it in a really sheltered shady area. This fall I cut back the dead and am curious to see what it looks like this spring. It's currently in my garage for the winter. I might take it out of its container today to see what the root system looks like. Maybe there's something going on there. Otherwise, I don't have much patience for the finicky maples when there are so many good ones out there. It seems like it's hard to find a good yellow/gold in summer maple. Do you think it's a lack of chlorophyl? Kind of like a really white variegated cultivar? Kay
my new akane from mendocino maples... guess we'll see if mine develops the (apparently characteristic) brown spotting come june.
It probably will, but don't worry about it. Mine certainly has gotten the awful-looking brown spots, but then the leaves fall off and new leaves appear within 3 weeks or so and then it's beautiful going into the fall. Akane can be so gorgeous in the spring and autumn that it's worth it to have some ugliness in summer, I think. It's still a marvelous plant. Just don't show it to anyone during the summertime. I'm so glad Gomero alerted everyone to this characteristic, however. I would have thought the plant was dying had I not already known from him that the brown splotches were common traits.
Hopefully third time's a charm with this tree (lost two from Mendocino Maples this spring). This one's from Sam at Eastfork. When I received it (as the picture shows), there was no spotting. However, I have started noticing a little bit in the couple of weeks that I've had it - maybe the ridiculously high temps (high 90's last week, low 100's all this week) are a culprit? It gets filtered light in the morning then bright shade the rest of the day.
Well, at least this time the tree seems very robust and healthy - always a given with Sam's trees. :) Haven't really had any spotting on the leaves, and it's starting to push out new growth. I'll see what happens with this second flush (has the spotting ever appeared with the second growth spurt?), and next year...
Other than a very little bit on only a few leaves earlier this summer, I haven't seen any spotting on my tree. No fall color yet, but it's supposed to start cooling down at the end of the week (currently in the 80's; Friday's high is only 59)...
I love the spring leaves on this one, one of the first to leaf out for me this year. Such a cute little bowtie...
OK, I just love, love, love this tree! Even if it does end up getting the spotting in summer, it is worth it for the lovely spring color kaleidoscope. One of my first to leaf out, too. Ueno yama is now starting to push hard, so hopefully this is a trend and I can have these lovely colors for 2 or more months! :)
Lost a few leaves during our short heat wave the beginning of July, but it is pushing some new buds. So far, I have not really seen any signs of the splotching on the leaves that others have observed - and we've had it VERY humid for about a month (over 12" of rain since mid-July, daily humidity is typically 70% or higher), though the temps, for us, have been cooler than the norm, mostly upper 80s to low 90s. I currently have it in our courtyard, under 50% white shade cloth, so it doesn't receive any actual direct sun - it does seem to like these conditions.
I have just bought an 'Akane' today, because of the beautiful yellow foliage, and have been interested to read this thread about its problems. I wait to see what happens over here. Interestingly, my Shirasawanum 'Aureum' (I have three) develop the same brown leaves in autumn ( I have never had a decent fall colour with them) although the one that is in the best shaded part of the garden is much less affected. Maybe it is something to do with a lack of something in the make-up of yellow leafed trees?
Sam i found the Akane to be hard work over the years could never find a spot they liked , had two young grafts both placed in different areas of the garden but same poor results every year, kept both in pots for two years then tried planting one out for the third year that one threw in the towel come the summer time then the other potted one only made it to the fall and said goodbye!!! never to be seen again. Interesting observation re the Shirasawanum Aureum's like yourself i also have three , had one medium sized one at the top of the garden in the ground since 2012 grew nicely every year good lime colours in the spring time and early summer but always noticed it began to develop the dreaded brown leaves come late summer then steadily changed into the brown crispy leaf stage come the fall. So last year i thought i would let it go just to the stage where i could see the brown edgings develop on the leaves then i would lift it and put into a container and place somewhere sheltered, well big difference in the fall colours see the first pic, never seen this tree change to this colour ever will take this colour every year please!! My second 'SA' was my second ever Acer i bought and has been in the same spot in the ground again near the top of the garden , same scenario as the first tree great spring and early summer colours but terrible fall colours, so after seeing what the little tree did i decided to move my larger 'SA' close down towards the rear of the house only eight foot away from where the containered tree now lives, you can see both trees in the second pic, the larger one is by the fence and just breaking nicely.Will be interesting to see how these two progress throughout the year,but more to the point what colours will they both throw out in the fall? My final 'SA' is in a container again, but at the side of the house this time will see how this one develops also. Mark
After reading your post I have decided to select a different more sheltered location for 'Aka ane' Unfortunately your pics won't load for me, but I can see the colour of the first one from the small pic. Brill!! Here's hoping my new tree will fare better than yours did for you ... Thanks for the info.
Sam i have they same problem,can only see quarter to half of any ones pics at any time very rarely get a full picture. :(
Sam,if you click on the title next to the thumbnail (this one says Shirasawanum (25).JPG underlined) you'll get the full size pic. pop up in another window. Lovely colours Roebuk,never had such a vivid red but usually get rainbow colours.
I also have brown spots! I mean, some of my trees have, those "I" have are called freckles a Scot lass told me decades ago. On 'Orange Dream'. They show only to the leaves that are exposed to the sun (75% sun): On Acer tataricum ssp. ginnala (95% shade): So for these two at last, I think that the main problem is the pH of the soil (the water here is very hard). When plants have chlorosis, they're weaker, hence sunburns and fungal attacks. So next spring, chelated iron before budbreak, then again from time to time. I'm sure it will help. I also have the same problem with 'Tsuma Gaki'. This one cheap because most of the leaves were burnt in late July when I bought it a couple of years ago. I managed to give it a new life, but last year, once again, the leaves started their autumn colour very early, and this year I left it too long in full sun, for this one I think that it's the main problem. Such a beautiful cultivar, I'm ashamed of myself: I had the same kind of pb with a 'Katsura', which is not really surprising since I find it's very similar to 'Orange Dream', but this year I kept it in 90% shade, and this year, it looks all right:
Alaink like yourself i have found the Tsuma gaki to be a most interesting tree with regards to the very very quick leaf colour changes which they seem to show, likewise i only aquired this one last year so was in a quandry on where to keep it, having read so many reports on where to keep the tree i thought the general consensus was keep it well shaded. This is what i finally did and you can see from the enclosed pictures just how quickly it's gone from the first picture May 21st as you would expect to see this cultivar then June 20th a quickening of change to reds and finally todays picture a stunning deeper red, all this change in just 80 days!! and it will then go on to become a lovely red/ yellow/golden , so this one is definately for the shade, but others may have different results ? My Katsura i planted out last year and it's put on tremendous growth this year, but again another one which prefers plenty of shade and holds the green leaf colour well with no scorching, and also as you state the Orange dreams can be a nightmare if not given the right amount of shade.