Dear, a couple of years ago, i have bought this Acer. However, it's not clear which variety it is. I was thinking "Acer palmatum Sangokaku" but this picture is taken yesterday and as far as i remember it always has this red bark. Also, some of the bark is white. Infection? Kr, Lieven
Good morning and welcome to the maples forum. IMO this is Sango Kaku or it could even be Eddisbury. Hard to tell between the two tbh. Regarding the older branches pale colour, this is how it goes as it gets older. It is only the newer growth that has the red colouring.
Hi Lieven, Though it looks a bit like it, I'm not sure it's 'Sango Kaku' : the red of the bark is usually not that dark, but the colour of the leaves are somewhat similar. Anyway, I don't think you have to worry at all about the colour of the older bark, it turns naturally grey, or light brown on most maples with a colour bark, in 3-4 years.
Good morning Lieven, I'm thinking more Eddisbury now than Sango Kaku. The branching on your tree is darker red and it has definatly a smaller structure than the more vigorous SK. The lobe edges are showing the slight pink/ red appearance also which is typical with this cultivar against a pale yellow palmate leaf.
... looking at the shape of the leaves, I think it could be a cultivar of Acer shirasawanum. Acer shirasawanum 'Jordan' ???
I don't have one, but it seems to have a dark reddish colour on younger branches. See the photos here : Acer shirasawanum 'Jordan'
Thanks but i dont think the trunk is coral red for that one. Some other candidates here: Great Japanese Maples with Striking Coral Bark but i doubt this was for sale in commercial garden center
Lieven I know Im asking a lot of you but now can you post a pic of the lower trunk. Just checking to see if it is grafted. Your tree is very nice. The leaves caught my attention in the first pic. Made me think it was a type of shirasawanum. If it was my tree I would differently call it a hybrid.
Here are photos of shirasawanums from seeds (A. shir. 'Autumn Moon'). The first one is maybe a hybrid : smaller leaves than the type, fewer lobes. The wood on 2-3 year-old branches is reddish. The bark, if kept in full sun, can be even more red : The second one has larger leaves, with more lobes : Leaves on the parent tree :
I agree ;-) I think the leaves have at least 9 lobes, separated only to half their length, which is I think more typical of shirasawanum.
Does look somewhat like circinatum 'Pacific Fire' that I have seen at nurseries. Acer circinatum 'Pacific Fire' | Japanese Maples, Ornamental Trees
I agree with Alain, 'a beautiful maple'. That sometimes you just have to enjoy without knowing the name. But very annoying I know Lieven.
I don't think it's red enough for 'Pacific Fire'. But then again I killed that one, so what do I know? :) I agree with possibly A. circinatum for the leaves. Def not 'Sango kaku', 'Eddisbury', 'Jordan'. Though the leaves are pretty Jordan-like (is that a thing) the stems don't look like it to me. They're not that red though, for a Coral Bark group maple. Were they more red in winter?
Thanks for all the remarks/tips :) some interesting angles. Not yet convinced though. I think the bark is very red for new branches (latest pictures taken today under cloudy conditions, see difference with original pictures), the stem at the bottom is a bit white but after washing its quite dark brown.
I might be crazy and it's hard to tell from the pictures, but if you zoom in on the base of the trunk in those pictures, it almost looks like greener rootstock about an inch before the main divide.
Though red, 'Pacific Fire' I've seen are not necessarily up to the hype. Here's another pic which shows that, although I've only seen them in May when leaves were pale yellow/green like pictures Lieven posted. Acer circinatum 'Pacific Fire' Specimen 1815
I didn't get pale yellow this year. Light green, then this green. The bark was really red up until a few week ago.
