So who's got any interesting seedlings to look at? Here are a few of mine. The first 4 are of a dwarf form that stays a great chocolate brown for weeks, with tightly rolled leaves, before turning a dark almost bluish green. This one is 5 years old but somehow I've not gotten pictures of it before. The parent is 'Green Star'. Next is a seedling from 'Villa Tarranto' that has not made the usual strap leaf, instead looking almost dissected. A seedling of 'Heiwa' has red and green reticulation, though it is too young to know if it is stable. 'Hagoromo' very often throws seedlings like the one pictured here, which make fine garden plants although they seem to have a higher than normal mortality rate. Finally an always agreeable A. pentaphyllum putting on new growth on 20 August. -E
The Villa Taranto seedling is beautiful! The others are all interesting in their own way, too, but the VT seedling is one I would consider purchasing. I'm curious to hear how your red/green reticulated seedling does long term. I have two 2-year seedlings like that, one with more reticulation than the other, and I'm curious how they'll do over the years. I think they're very pretty.
I have a few favorites this season. First is the most vivid of my two red/green reticulated specimens. Second is a feathery, dissected seedling from under a Tsukushigata, and third (two photos) is a wavy-leaved seedling from underneath a Scolopendrifolium. I lost a dwarf-behaving japonicum seedling this spring to a chipmunk, and I'm still regretting that loss. For some reason chipmunks are vicious with my seedlings-- often clipping off the majority of growth, and leaving it uneaten on the ground next to the pots. Not cool, chipmunks! Not cool.
I love the chocolate seedling; since it's hard to tell from the pictures, how big is it at 5 years old? And I have to agree with Elizabeth, that VT seedling is very cool; is it more upright in habit or a bit pendulous (if it's not too early to tell)? Elisabeth, I love that Tsukushi gata seedling! I have a few seedlings as well from my 2014 crop (none from last winter due to the move, but there's loads out there for picking this fall!) that I'm watching more closely than the others. This Seiryu seedling looks to be quite upright in habit, has kept the blush on the leaf edge for over a month, and has leaves that are on the smaller side. Shinju #14 has kept these pale leaves for 2 months now, and Shinju #22, while being a very slow grower, has really cool curled leaves. All have been kept in broken sun from sunrise to late afternoon (they're in a wood slatted box on the deck).
Some great looking seedlings! I particularly like Elizabeth's Scolopendrifolium seedling and Andrea's Shinju #14. If these keep the characteristics they'll make great plants. My problem is I love all my seedlings and can never bear to dispose of any, which leaves me with a great number of sometimes undistinguished JMs (and other maples). I give away as many as I can, but... not sure what I'll end up doing with them all. I've started a free standing hedge with some larger growing green seedlings, but now realize I can only fill it in with smaller JMs! Andrea, the little Green Star seedling is about 8-10 inches after 5 years! For a "bonus" here's another seedling still being evaluated at 5 years, it is a very good red barked offspring of 'Sango kaku' that has the peculiarity of staying red all year round, even the new shoots are red. Further it seems very resistant to pseudomonas, much more so than the other coral barks I grow. However it suffered more in the drought conditions this year than 'Sango kaku', and I haven't decided whether it's worth a name, although I do think it worth a place in my garden at least! These pictures are from 15 March this year. -E
Hello Emery. The little Villa Tarrento that you offered to me in june carries as well as possible. It tolerated well the extremly hight temperatures of that dry summer. It did not make new growth at all but did not lose any sheet. Thus it behaves like immortel ... To hear you, in your Aceratum, was a great pleasure, and i must say that your voice has a special grain whitch transmit your enthousiasm; it is as a song whitch remained stuck in my ears.
Salut Pierre, What a very nice thing to say! Thank you. It was really a pleasure to have you and Lise visit and look at trees, and talk. Perhaps you'll come again some time, I'd be delighted. I'm glad this little VT seedling is doing OK, many of them have had a quiet year in the heat, without much growth. Nice to see the picture, too. -E
Here are a few more seedlings, all from this year: 1,2 is A. truncatum that my wife collected from a park in Beijing last year. The label on the tree turned out to say "Please don't pee on this tree," but I'm pretty sure it's a Shantung Maple. 3,5 is meant to be wild collected A. pensylvanicum, collected by my sister (a very good plantswoman) in Maine, USA. The seed looked right and I don't doubt she can recognize the tree, but what the heck is it? Doesn't look like any pensylvanicum cross I've yet seen. 4 is A. pectinatum subsp pectinatum. I have about 30 of these, so if anyone on this side wants some, they should be good to go next year. Nice snakebark maples, also quite rare as usually another subsp is offered. 6 is A. longipes, I hope it will be a truly 3 lobed version. -E
Quick question... what is the general growth pattern for a seedling that will end up with a weeping habit? How many years does it grow upright before starting to weep?
Great question Elisabeth!! I was wondering that too; I have 3 seedlings from Seiryu that are dissectums, and all - so far, they are 2 years old - are quite upright in habit. I also collected a number of seeds off my Ryusen this fall, so it will be interesting to see what comes of those.
Seyriu will probably keep an upright habit if they are close to the true cultivar, but how Ryusen evolves will be interesting. The very few seedlings from cultivars I have have all reverted more or less to the true species, nothing interesting really. The only ones (2 or three) that were dissected were very weak and didn't survive their second winter. But I'm still sowing seeds that I can collect here and there, so we'll see what happens next year...
I have collected seeds in Shisen Do villa in Kyoto , it was in 2009. I don't know the name of the mother tree , it is behind of the rock garden on the photo. As you see, it was several large trees (8/10 m hight) , all the same type freely growing on the slope of the hill. Seedlings are 6 years old now. Several seeds gave the same plant with large green leaves thin regulary serrated , leaves are yellow and bright red in end of november, as in Kyoto. I am pretty sure they are similar to the mother tree ; note: bark and branches are not as palmatum at all . I have 4 of them , all potted plants , very vulnérable to heat and sun. (photos 3, 4, 5 ) May I risk amoenum ? But one (only one of that seedling) gave thomething different. I never saw such a cultivar (but i don't know all of them, indeed) . I am very happy with that unknown Xx. Good grower and it seems able to normaly support hight temperatures . (photos 6, 7 ) Last automnal pic of this one was in november 2014.
I think that's a good guess: the leaves look very similar to my 'Osakazuki' (Amoenum group from what I read in Vertrees & Gregory), but the colours on mine are more vivid in autumn.
Thanks Alain. I have osakazuki, the peduncle of the sheets are rather long with thick fasteners (en français, attache du pédoncule) as for amoenum. However , on the photographs 3 and 4 the peduncle are very long , strong with well marked fasteners , it is probably an amoenum Carrière or it approaches some. The common amoenum growing on the hills around Kyoto is named by japanese poeple 'Oh-momiji' . On the photograph 6 and 7 (Xx) the peduncle of the leaves are long, the fasteners are thick. The leaves have 5 lobes, they are narrow and deeply divided, therefore it would be hybrid amoenum. I will name it A.P amoenum Shisen-Do (for my account). And in february, in the event of an accident would occur, i will make a graft . I have other seedlings from Japan, i post them soon.
I'm imperessed by how much you, among others, know about maples ;-) What you say does make sense if I compare yours with my 'O-Sakazuki'. Here is a photo I took just before reading your message (the leaves are a deeper green, but you can't complain about the sun, can you?):
Be not impressed, i am not botanist, Masayoshi Yano's book guides me. cf: Natural Maples growing in Japan, section palmata Pax with scientific mames + japanese names. palmatum Thunberg = Iroha momiji P42, amoneum = O momiji P44, amoenum var matsumurae=yama momiji P46. I went several times to Japan, it is with the 6° travel that I decided to collect seeds to try to obtain these 3 Maples; and I believe that I have them…… Knowing about that: “It is Impossible to find exactly same ones of any species of natural maples trees”. As wrore Yano p76. This to explain my intention with those seedlings. Let us return to your question . Your osakazuki, as mine, supports raser well hot temperatures on condition that being in mid-shades; as for your's, i can't complain about sun. Concernant my 6 years old amoenum seedlings: -photo 6,7 hybrid, it have à résistance comparable with that of osakazuki. -photo 3,4, amoenum (natural from Japan), i find it very vulnerable tu sun. i must leave it in the deep shade from 15 of may to 1° october, so not the sheets burns.
Second seedling from Kyoto. Seeds had been collected in this new garden created recently close to the National Museum. All very large transplanted Acer palmatum one (perhaps a cultivar of palmatum). I thus deduced from it they where of value and that they where enviable ... As these trees were many and all similar, i said myself that the fecundation had better opportunities of giving identical subjets or so. Six years and half afterwards, here is the result. Potos 6, 7 from november 2015.
3° and last seedling. I was looking for Acer palmatum pushing in a wild state; very common tree and quite large, riching 15 meters height in Japan, as you see on the photo 1. From that seedling i preserved 3 trees witch appear identical to me. Their growth is very strong even in pots and without adding food to the substrate. I prune them in beginning of march to reduce 2/3 growths of the previous year. I don't know in Europe A.palmamatum so powerfull. The sheets in summer are a very dark green, and in november their color is red to orange. The coloured show that it deploy in november is somptuous, they are incredible trees. (note: the sheets of the 2° seedling are smaller and green clear. Those kind of palmatum are not so powerfull). Surprise , icing on the cake : i obtain also a complet different plant. I can't think it is an hybride of palmatum. As i collected samares by ground, a seed of another tree was to be there. May i risk Acer matsumurae (yama momiji) ? Finally , for the beauty of the history, i want to beieve it !
Congrats, félicitations : These mystery trees of yours look very healthy, they're in good hands apparently. ;-)
I have got 4000+ seedlings in flats. Amongst them I had some "funny" ones. The ones that started as variegated type, didn`t make it past the second month. That`s my favorite so far. For the moment I`ve named it `Shishigashira lookalike`
Emery, I am in love with this seedling!!! I wish you could send me a cutting or graft of it, but sadly I know this is not possible (stupid import regulations - plus I know it's still very teeny tiny!). I guess I shall have to admire from afar...
