Here is a Vancouver street tree, not correctly named on the city's list, which I have finally decided is Acer rufinerve because of the rusty hairs on the leaf backs and the grey buds. Photos are from this week; the bud photo is from 201o. I hope this isn't some hybrid.
13th November 2022 and some incrediblely warm weather that is making my little Rufinerve leaf out. Together with Autumnal colours it is making this look quite different this morning.
A. rufinerve is a tough maple, for a snakebark anyway, so hopefully yours will be OK, Derek. We have quite a few taxa in Section Macrantha with spring leaves this autumn 2022, after the long and deep summer drought. I took some pictures in May of this year which I have been meaning to post ever since. I have been motivated to add another rufinerve to the garden, as ours has been quite damaged in the past, and I'm not sure how long it will continue going. They are not long lived trees, especially in less than ideal environments. In trying to buy or grow the replacement, it's become apparent that many specimens on the market are in fact hybrids. This is easy to tell, because without the rufus or red hairs along the petioles, and veins, it is simply not rufinerve (rufi (rufus) + nerve (vein)). These can be seen very clearly in some of @wcutler 's photos above. I have a young "rufinerve" given to me by an English nurseryman, who sells these plants. I was suspicious of the sometimes very wide leaf shape and the amount of bloom on new stems, so I took the attached pictures. First the hybrid, then the real thing. The difference is clear when you know what to look for. The hybrid, note lack of red hair and glaucus bloom in the 4th photo The wider leaves initially made be suspicious, but young plants are very variable in leaf growth. Acer rufinerve, note red hairs. On some leaves they are very thick.
Thanks for all the info E. And yes mine did have the red hairs in the Spring flush back in May, so I feel that I don't have a hybrid. But it is young and the following years should give a better understanding of its origin. I do love the leaf on this species maple, so I hope I get many years of enjoyment out of it.
It's a cracking maple: great winter interest, pretty spring leaves and flowers (very green all), reddish samaras, and fabulous autumn color. I think you'll love it. I actually meant to mention that I wasn't making any specific commentary on your plant. Then forgot, what a surprise. It was just your post that reminded me of my earlier photos. I think you're right that the amount of reddish hair may vary with age, and be less apparent on youngsters, though there should be some signs of it. I have a few unlabeled plants from the MS seed distribution, 2 years old now, that show very rufinerve-ish. I think there's some red hair, but certainly not a lot. They're very small still, though.
Understood E, but even if you were, it would have been good info to check on, So thanks for the message.