I've seen grafted Acer rubrum "red maple". What is the rootstock likely to be on these. I know that cultivars of JMs are usually grafted onto seed-grown Acer Palmatum. What is the common rootstock for other maples? Paperbark, corkbark, sugar? Many thanks M.
Most likely seedling Acer rubrum - it is a very easy tree to grow from seed. They only graft them to provide the cultivar MacUniformity and lack of diversity that most people sadly seem to want for their MacMansions. For other maples - generally, the same species as the cultivar is of, or a very closely related one. Unlike many other tree genera, maples tend to show a high degree of graft incompatibility unless they are close relatives.
There are other reasons to graft named forms, such as being able to have the superior qualities of the selection without trying to root it from cuttings - something that isn't always possible, or at least feasible.
Thanks guys. I wondered because the tag doesn't even list a cultivar.. just "red maple" which is the basic rubrum common name.
