I have found an Orange Dream with a lovely shape but it is too early for the leaves to erupt. I would appreciate any information on the leaf size - small, small/medium? I have seen lots of pictures of the colors but would like to know leaf size. Thanks.
It is towards the smaller end of the spectrum. Maybe slightly larger than a typical small leafed palmatum such as 'Shindeshojo' or 'Katsura', and more substantial looking with the wider lobes.
I agree with MAF. I have a lot of close up pictures of the leaves (if you want to see, just ask), but this is a picture that I hope gives you a better idea of the size. (with other plants’ foliage to use as a reference) http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/6001997898/in/set-72157627216800757/
Is the Orange Dream the tree in the foreground which appears to have large green leaves? I have looked at lots of pictures of Orange Dream but it is difficult to get an appreciation of the size of the leaf. I prefer leaves that are at least 2" long. Would you be able to give me an approximate idea in inches? This was my first post and I appreciate the information. Thanks.
Yes, it's the tree in the foreground. The leaves are larger than 2", I would say closer to 3" not including the leaf stalk. Here is another picture, the tree is in the right side of the picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/6001472615/in/set-72157627216800757/ Sometimes, I have time to write about my observations and research of a tree that I have owned for a while. Here is what I have for Orange Dream: Acer Palmatum Orange Dream -- Orange Dream Japanese Maple - Photo shows spring color which demonstrates why it's named Orange Dream. http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/6147124970/in/set-72157627668717234/ The bright orange leaves emerge out of florescent pink buds, then the leaf color fades into a lemon color with orange shaded leaf margins. The leaves then slowly transition to a yellow green transitioning into a lime green by summer. Fall color is yellow and purple with hints of red. http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/6546814135/in/set-72157628490507707 The bark on the trunk is a very unique green color, which contrast the spring color and it also adds great winter interest. Orange Dream will grow slowly into a 13’ upright, taller than wide tree, with dense foliage. If left un-pruned it will take on a narrow shrub like form. I like to prune out some of the dense foliage in mid-summer to expose the green trunk and allow air and light into the center of the tree. Using this technique will keep the tree looking like a specimen tree rather than a dense shrub. My orange dream is grown in part shade. The roots remain shaded so it’s very drought tolerant. It can tolerate afternoon sun in northern Ohio, but the intense late July and early August sun may burn delicate newly formed leaves, but the mature foliage stands up to the sun quite well, so the burning is insignificant as the majority of the growing occurs in May and June before the sun gets intense. Introduced in the late 1980’s by Fratelli Gilardelli Nursery, Italy. Another interesting thing about this variety is that it puts off the occasional interesting fall color combination in a random leaf here and there: http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/6546829905/in/set-72157628490507707 http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/6546825105/in/set-72157628490507707 http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/6546828431/in/set-72157628490507707 http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/6546822089/in/set-72157628490507707 http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/6546832553/in/set-72157628490507707/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/6531173265/in/set-72157628490507707/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/6546820605/in/set-72157628490507707/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/japanesemaplegarden/6715118977/in/set-72157628490507707/
I am so appreciative of your comments about Orange Dream to help me make my decision. I have 45 Japanese maples and this will be my last purchase as I have run out of space in which to plant them! I want to make this last selection a beautiful tree. All your comments have encouraged me to buy this tree. I also need something that is taller versus wide and it sounds like this will be perfect. The site is morning sun with afternoon shade. I love the green trunk. Thanks again for your help. By the way your garden looks lovely in the photos you have posted.
Thank you! I am glad you found it all helpful. With the site conditions and climate, I think it will do very well for you. It's a trouble free tree for me. No disease or bug problems and it never has any winter die back, other than just a few little twigs. My tree came from Bizon nursery. The only time I saw a problem with this variety was when a local nursery had one trapped in a greenhouse with no air movement in late spring, the leaves were drooping and spotted from high temps, humidity, and no air movement. Another time was when I saw someone try to get one established in all day sun, planted in the middle of summer in my climate, which did not work well for them. After sharing my experiences, they moved it and the tree did great the next season planted in morning sun.
I have not bought from Bizon nursery but I cans say I really like Eric Bizon's interest in new cultivars. I look forward to his trees. As for Orange Dream it is important to get it from a top grower. I have been to severAl gardens with weak examples and in the end the owners have yanked them out and put in trees from a top grower. I have been very pleased with Buchholz Orange Dreams along with Iseli's. They have gray electric green leaves in shady locating in the summer time which is a plus after that great orange spring color
Hi Charlie, In addition to my Orange dream, my Orangeola, Shaina, Emperor I, Atrolineare, and ginkgo biloba jade butterfly all came from Bizon. They all have great form and are very healthy trees. I was introduced to Bizon from a local nursery that caters to upscale landscape designers in a wealthy part of NE OH. They are a large operation that orders large quantities for the season. All the Japanese maples and evergreens that come off the Bizon truck are true to form and well grown. If they ever have any problems (which is rare) Bizon is quick to make it right. I love Iseli's and Buchholz too. I find Buchholz is great at filling a niche, where Iseli's and Bizon are good for those who are looking to order larger quantities of a specific variety.
Orange Dreams are one of the few trees which i do buy more than one for the year, it is such a great tree. There is Ap 'Aureum' which is very similar but with much brighter yellow leaf and it tends to leaf out a few weeks before Orange Dream. Buchholz is made for me, this year i will get about 350 trees from them. They have some of best structured trees out there.
Did you snag the (1) 20g beni hime that they released late last fall, I think it was about November that I saw it pop up on their inventory? I was really considering buying it, but I'm so pushed for space, I was afraid I could not find a spot. I agree that Buchholz is one of my favorites. They have great stuff and as long as you are not looking to order 25-50 of the same variety, you can't beat their selection. If you are a specialty nursery or a landscape designer, you can't beat Buchholz for quality and selection.
Yes, that is about the same size leaf I get on Orange Dream here. The leaves consistently have seven or more lobes: Sometimes we get this interesting two-tone color in the early part of fall:
I would say that Katsura, Orange Dream, Ueno Yama, Calico, Mizuho beni all have very similar leaf size and colors. There are a few other named trees which fall into the group. There are noticeable differences in the colors and growth habit but at the same time if there in a row with no tag it is hard to tell the difference. I would say Orange Dreams growth habit sets it apart. Most all I have owned have grown taller faster than the others. I have had most all the trees planted in our full Pacific Northwest sun and they have done ok with some leaf burn at the top but I feel Orange Dreams summer color in shade is tops on my list. It stands out among hundreds of cultivars. I added some photos of a few different trees, the photos are labeled as to which tree it is. PS JT1 I was hoping the beni hime you speak of would have been on my last truck load but I was not so lucky. maybe i will see it next month when i get my next load.