Hi: I live in southwestern KY, zone 6. In Hopkinsville, heading down highway 68/80, I pass 2 trees I think are Japanese Maples I'd estimate to be around 15 - 20 feet tall. They are fairly upright in habit, have dissected leaves, and the leaves are mainly a fetching green but here and there we see an 'orange glaze' in portions of the foliage - quite striking. I'd like to plant one or two at my home. I'm guessing they're the same kind of tree, but that's not certain. Tree 1. Tree 1 is growing outward toward the road, seeking the sun. A couple of people standing nearby (owners or neighbors?) didn't know what kind of tree it was. Tree 2. Tree 2 is growing in a yard where a woman who lives there simply told me it's a 'Japanese Maple,' and didn't seem to know any more about what kind of tree, other than to say it was the same kind as Tree 3 (given her evidently not knowing the cultivar of Tree 2, and the obvious multi-year difference in the trees' ages, I have to wonder whether that's accurate). Tree 3. Tree 3 looks rather like a Bloodgood, but then I wouldn't know a Bloodgood from a Fireglow, for example, to look at. So, is my 'dream tree' just a washed out Japanese Maple Tree that's lost the vast majority of its deep red? Or are Trees 1 & 2 another type of Japanese Maple? Thanks in advance for your help! Richard. P.S.: I can't see to post the photos directly into the post; sorry about the links. It doesn't work nearly as well.
Hello drrich2, Unfortunately all the links also caused the SPAM filter to block the release of your first post. It is visible now. Here is the link to the "How To" for attaching images http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=725
Richard, I am the farthest thing from an expert, but one thing that strikes me is that some of these are quite mature specimens, therefore probably dating back to an era when not many fancy named JM varieties were in commerce in the U.S. So the field of possibility is likely pretty narrow. I wonder if the green-leaved trees are the ordinary species, Acer palmatum. I think you'd see a certain amount of color variation -- at the leaf margins, for example -- at different times of year as the leaves mature, and in response to different growing conditions, such as full exposure to hot sun. Even native maples around this area behave this way. As to the red, 'Bloodgood' is probably as good a guess as any -- pending the learned opinion of the experts -- but I wonder if it could also be an unnamed red-flowered type, like those that are sold under the name A. palmatum atropurpureum. You might check a couple of local nurseries to see what is most common in the trade in your area. Around here, nurseries typically only offer a handful (maybe four or five at the most) different varieties. Maybe the offerings are different where you live. But in a streetside planting like this -- as opposed to a full-blown Japanese-themed garden -- I would guess that the safe assumption is that people are growing what everybody else is growing, which is whatever is being sold down the road at the local garden center.
Kaspian: Someone voiced a similar question on the thread at GardenWeb.com - http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/maple/msg0700593612341.html?12 At first I posted there & didn't get a fast response so I posted here, too; they did end up answering and were helpful, though. You can also see the pics readily there. Definitely mature-looking trees as Japanese Maples go; gotta wonder just how old they are. Richard.
I don't think any guaranteed ID is possible on any of these, but they are all Japanese maples. There are just too many cultivars and as kaspian stated there is the possibility that they are all seed grown trees. On a side note these trees would not be what we would normally call "dissected", but a "palmate" leaf type rather. The first two trees do resemble a few older cultivars such as: Tai hai and some forms of Osakazuki, Ichigyoji, and Hogyoku. It still could be a seed grown tree, but if you are looking for a nice tree that looks like this one I would start with these varieties if you can find them. You can't always trust labels but if you have a good idea of what leaf shape you are looking for, you should be able to find something close to these. The third tree does not look like a Bloodgood to me, but the leaf shape is close enough to be a Fireglow from what I can tell. The color, however, doesn't look quite right to me under normal growing conditions. I think Fireglow should be a bit darker burgundy red this time of year. This one could also be a seed grown atropurpureum/nigrum type maple (I'm not good enough to tell which of these that might fall in, most would put it in atropurpurem for generalization but those types generally have a bit darker base color). In this case if I wanted a tree that looked similar to this type I would be looking for one of the following: Fireglow, Emperor I or Red emperor, Moonfire or maybe Red baron should be reasonably easy to find at a good garden center. If I could find a nice specimen, Crimson prince or Hefner's red select would be two I would go out of my way to get. Hope this helps.
Thanks. I may look into ordering an Osakazuki come Fall. I've seen Fireglow at a nursery, and I've got a couple of Bloodgoods. Richard.
