Acer palmatum 'Beni otake'

May 2009

 

I don't have the same issue with sun as some of the others on the forum. I have the opposite issue - lots of shade. So I was really pleased to read mapledia's post that hers has been in filtered light and performed well. I put the one I purchased towards the end of summer in a location that received very little direct light and not much more filtered light. I left it in its box until I saw that that the one I had purchased did indeed hold its red even in the shade. It did darken but it held. So after leaf fall I put it in the ground. Here is what it looks like this spring.

 

Hi Winterhaven, I'm so glad your Beni Otake is performing well. My JM garden exists mostly under a canopy of Madrones, so I have all sorts of filtered light, but not a lot of direct sun for my JMs (a good thing because the exposed areas of my garden kill almost everything with the intense heat and exposure). Beni Otake, however, has just done beautifully with filtered (almost dark sometimes) light. Good luck. This is a lovely cultivar.
mapledia

 

For me, I like to put Ap 'Beni Otake' in full sun to get the brightest red out of it. In full sun it stands out from the other red trees since it glows like a bright red light. For the linearebolium, it is by far most people favorite in my garden with Ap Villa taranto' right next to it. I find the tree a must for a big garden. I did have one in shade for a year an it was still a nice tree but did not have the excitement to it as when it was in the sun.

 

Thanks!

Thanks for the feedback. You say "a big garden". Any reason for that qualification?

Re: its location on my property, the spot it's in was looking for a tree, rather than me having a tree and looking for a spot. I knew I wanted a red that could hold color in shade to complete a triangle of reds (in that area there is now a "triangle" created by a deep red palmatum, a deep red dissectum, and this linearebolium). And the spot does get brief shots of full sun which light up the tree when that happens. I think as it gets bigger, it will get more sun and be even prettier. And the removal of the evil Holly tree last week also helped get more light to the area.

 

For me the bigger the Beni Otake the better. I prune them to be more open, remove most of the lower branches and prune them to keep the branches from drooping earily. To be able to walk under the tree is spectacular when you look up in the blue sky and see the vivid red leaves. I have found them to be a wide tree so if they are tall they are even wider so they do need a lot of space, hence they are great for a big garden. There are pleanty of other red linearelobium they stay small and work better for small places. Beni ubi gohon is one of my favorite small ones. I have added a photo of a Beni Otake with an Atrolineare above it on the right. You can see the difference in colors

 

I'm still loving having a BO in that spot, but I felt I should add that it has greened up in that amount of shade. The top is definitely more red, and I'm hoping as the tree grows it will get more sun and more color. Also, among my many waiting garden chores is the removal of the bush next to it, a conservative trim of the rhododendron above, and the removal of the rest of the holly. I also trimmed a bunch out of the lower portion of the tree (thanks for the heads up, Charlie) and still have many trunks.

 

I do enjoy watching this cultivar's lobes emerge thin and long, and then later in the season flesh out a bit. This photo was taken April 30 while in its thin stage.

 

My new Beni otake, picked up at Lowes - looks pretty good, in my opinion, for a box-store tree. The graft was nice, lots of good healthy new growth; have had it about a month so far and it's doing very well.

Living in Kansas, we get VERY intense sun in summer, but I know it needs at least some sun to keep the red, so it currently gets sun until about noon, then bright shade with a bit of sun late in the evening. So far, so good. How does this tree tend to handle wind? I'm hoping to plant it in this location (too close to the house for the tree??), but will keep it in a pot for a year or two to make sure it likes the spot.

 

Andrea,

How's your Beni otake looking this year after the heat and drought of last summer? Did the heat and wind make for some crusty leaves?

Kevin in KC

 

Finally starting to break bud; once this cold weather finally goes away, it should really start pushing the new leaves - I can't wait! But yes, by the end of summer last year, there weren't many decent leaves left, and fall color was pretty much non-existent. :(

 

Well, I just bought a Beni Otake and was trying to figure out how big it's going to get. My wife is Japanese and I've been struggling with that language for years, so I was curious to get her take on the whole "O" discussion. She said that the "O" comes from the Japanese word "Ookii" which means "large". She also pointed out that the Japanese don't use the honorific type of "O" for names, only for objects. The "O" from "Ookii" is actually a long or double "O", while the honorific "O" is a short, singular "O". I checked my Vertrees Japanese Maple book and they have a bar over the O, telling me it's the long "O". So it seems like "big" is what was meant.

Anyway, can anyone confirm how big these actually get? I'm seeing some nurseries say it's a dwarf tree getting no bigger than 10' tall and others seem to quote Vertrees at 26' high. I'm not sure what to think as I try to figure out where to plant my new tree. What does "maturity" mean anyway. Is that 30 years? I'm curious what it would look like along the way, say at 10, 15, 20 years... The one I bought is about 5' tall and I'm not sure how old that might represent. But it sure looks like a beautiful tree.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

 

I wish the leaves would stay this dark all summer...

 

Love the color on this tree, but I am disappointed with the leaves - they are not typical linearlobum leaves in the least. How long does it typically take to develop the fine leaves? As you can see, the ones on my tree are decidedly palmate, with only a very few displaying the strap-leaf, and then, only a few lobes with the rest being palmate.

 

Andrea,I know there are many here who've had this plant ages and can tell you better than I.I've literally just got one a couple of months ago and it's only a little 2year graft but has a lot thinner leaves than yours already.I can only think yours is growing too happily for whatever reason...see what others say :)

 

Maplesandpaws - I've had my Beni otake for 5 years (purchased as a 2g) and it's been extremely stable, only very rarely displaying a few palmate leaves. However, this year my tree looks exactly like yours – most of the tree is covered with palmate leaves. It’s also absolutely loaded with seed – way more than ever before. My theory is that this may be a reaction to the harsh winter we all experienced... I’d be curious to learn what others think.

 

blake, that's very interesting indeed, and you're only 5hr south of me... Perhaps the cold winter is the reason, or at least part of it. I know last year, and the year previous (my first with the tree), the leaves while not fully linearlobum, were definitely more so than they are this year. First picture is from shortly after purchasing it from Lowes in May 2012; second picture is from a year ago, prior to it being planted in the yard. You can see the difference in the leaves, and fullness of the tree, as compared to this year.

Another odd thing happening this year, with many of my trees, is that they are far fuller than I have seen them before, with a lot of new growth pushing on several. Perhaps this, too, is a result of the very cold winter (though, our summer last year was significantly milder than the previous two).

Hopefully others more experienced and knowledgeable will chime in on this. :)

 

I thought I would add this one of my Beni Otake just opening it's leaves in Spring 2020. It's still in a pot at the moment.
I just love the slender appearance of this cultivar at this time of year.

D

 

Looking so vulnerable!

 

Good morning Margot, yes agreed, but it's such a strong cultivar here in England. Only time will tell with this one though!!!!

D

 

I love the way this one moves in the wind.

 

Good afternoon D, couldn't agree more. Yours is also holding it's colour beautifully. I dont know about you, but to me this one always seems two trees in one with the old and new leaves.

 

I totally agrees D. Gm btw.

 

This is an update in July 2020 on my Beni Otaki, it has changed to the green that we all expect, but is also showing signs at the tips of the lobes of the next change. Rather earlier than expected.

 

@Acerholic is your in full sun? I wouldn't mind seeing mine that green.