PS : I must admit that perhaps I cheated a little : I put this one in the shade a couple of weeks ago, but it kept on gaining red colours, unlike others that didn't turn red, or even "reverted" to green, so... I also called it "Acer aff. palmatum" because it's from a seedling of unknown (forgotten) provenance, but it could well be "aff. amoenum". I think the "Acer amoenum trypes" resist less to the heat than palmatum, but maybe I'm wrong.
The top of A. palmatum 'Osakazuki' is slgoing through some color change. It have had a rough year. I'm thinking about cutting it back really hard to develop a better branch structure.
Still in the end of summer color phase... From left to right: Mikawa, Pixie, Mikawa, Mayday, Japanese Princess, Mikazuki. Shirazz and Osakazuki off in the background. :)
I popped into B&Q yesterday and they've got their usual end of year sale on acers as they begin to look tired and tatty - given they're in cheap nursery soil and then left in full sun all day they're all half price. It's mostly the usual varieties - loads of Phoenix, Katsura, Orange Dream but they did have one last Butterfly. As usual all from rooted cuttings which I know isn't meant to mean quite as reliable strong colour, BUT the Butterfly I did grab because rooted cutting I think shouldn't affect colour quite so much on variegation (we'll see), and for it's size £12 is a bargain! I'll add a picture later. They also had 1 Ryusen on a foot high graft. I've never seen Ryusen in any garden centres so I was surprised to see it in B&Q of all places! Didn't look too bad, but I didn't grab it as although the cultivar does intrigue me, there isn't really anything about it that really grabs me besides being a green that takes a lot of sun. I'm tempted to go back in a few days and buy it regardless as it does seem like a good price (£12) for the rarity. Also had one or two Nimura Princess and another 'princess' cultivar I don't remember but haven't heard of before - not Little, Crimson or Japanese princess.
I bought one years ago, in a very poor condition, but I repotted it and the following year it was thriving. It's now at my son's place. The one I recently posted is an air-layer of the first one, and I also took some cuttings that I gave away : the variegation is what it should be. And very few branches reverted to plain green, I just prune them and it's fine for the rest of the season.
I do have a nice Butterfly already which is why I nearly didn't bother buying another one, but couldn't resist the price! It's a lovely cultivar anyway so I may well plant it out for a few years then lift it and sell it on when some of my younger ones are big enough to replace it.
I spotted a really nice P. Chishio with great colours in B&Q in June..but it was a high graft standard and I’m not a massive fan..albeit I have just picked up a few cascades!!!
I’ve managed to kill several (3) small Butterfly trees..no idea why I can’t keep them..I have given up..shame as they look nice. I hope you do better than me
Starting to see some early autumn colours in a couple of the maples now. Here is Bi hoo and an amoenum type from seed:
Homebase are selling off a range of glazed pots that have great proportions this is 30cm x 16cm £5 and another 37x19 for £7
Here are a couple of pics, mainly so I can follow the thread. A _really_ big grasshopper on this suffering JM. Which is not a small leaved variety. The insect is almost 3 inches long! 'Emmett's Pumpkin' has been red since June. A pretty leaf on an A. sikkimense seedling. These are sub-tropical, they need some cold weather to stop growing. Minimum last night was 5.6 C.
First hints of Autumn colours on the top leaves of this Acer triflorum. Like its companion, Acer griseum next to it, it gets dappled sun in late morning, then full sun from 14:30 to sunset. The leaves are softer, which probably is why the griseum is still dark green :
This potted Atro dissectum is in full sun from say, 8 to 20 in summer. So far, there was no leaf scorch, it began after some heavy rain. If I can, I will plant it in the ground, where it stays now. 15/09 and 18/09 :
Some more colors coming in. Some are crispier than others. 'Keikan zan' in front of other maples, with A. aff sterculiaceum and A. pictum showing color behind. The Painted Maple is often quite subtle. A. x conspicuum 'Phoenix' resisted surprisingly well, but still looking a tatty yellow. A. aff sterculiaceum. It always has good early colors. It was sold as A. thompsonii, but it almost certainly isn't that. All I can say for sure is, it's from Sec. Lithocarpa, and it's not diabolicum. It could be sinopurpurascens, but it hasn't flowered. A. x circinatum 'Morton' is a useful maple, quite resistant, with a good red all summer in the sun. Autumn color will get brighter if it does the usual thing. A. diabolicum showing a nice yellow. This one just about survived the drought without defoliating. A nice A. japonicum seedling, really mostly late summer colors except the lower leaves. It will be planted this winter. A couple of more pics of A. pictum, as above, but a couple of days later. The colors come in a little at a time, it really earns its common name. This little 'Sango kaku' is reluctant to do much growing. It's otherwise healthy enough, but jeez. Planted in 2018, no excuse! I have a hard time picturing it, these are taken with 2 different settings, I suppose the second is more accurate, but neither really correct.
'Keikan zan' and that japonicum seedling :) should one day, somehow, make its way across the pond. How long have you had 'Keikan zan'?
I'm surprised 'Keikan zan' hasn't made it to the US. It's so good, such an elegant habit. I got mine in 2011, planted in 2012. Bought it as shirasawanum, (not even ssp. tenuifolium), but I think it's pretty much accepted to be A. tenuifolium. My DB notes say "not a strong plant 2012. Dieback then good growth 2013. Upgrade status to good, 2014". Since then, clear sailing!
Acer triflorum : Acer 'Bi-hoo' : Acer truncatum ("Shantung maple") in a bonsai pot. On the left, another one that is in a much deeper pot and is still dark green :
1. Sango Kaku in the background, Reticulatum in the foreground 2. 3. Reticulatum 4. 5. Baldsmith 6. J. Aureum only just starting 7. This that and the other 8. Peaches and cream 9. Sango Kaku again!
