I recently found this list of 400 Maples being offered for sale,in a nursery liquidation sale, the trees are three to four years old most in three to five gallon containers. orido nishiki shin deshojo red dragon murasaki kiyohime beni fushigi peaches n cream purple ghost aka kawa hime ara kawa pink lace red spider kagari nishiki tsuma beni waterfall germaines gyration pacific fire red filigree lace 3 and 5 Gallon List AS AUREUM AS AUTUMN MOON ARA KAWA BALDSMITH BENI MAIKO BENI FUSHIGI BENI OTAKE BEWLEY'S RED LACE BONFIRE/SEIGEI CALICO COONARA PYGMY CRIMSON QUEEN GERMAINE GREEN HORNET GREEN FILIGREE INABA SHIDARE KAMAGATA KASAGI YAMA KASHIMA KINRAN KINSHI KOTO MARU KOTO NO ITO MIKAWA YATSUBUSA OCTOPUS ORANGE DREAM ORIDONO NISHIKI PEACHES N' CREAM RED PYGMY RED SPIDER RED DRAGON SANGU KAKU SEIRYU SHARP'S PYGMY SHIDAVA GOLD SHIN DESHOJO SHISHIO HIME STELLA ROSSA TAMA HIME TAMUKEYAMA TOYAMA NISHIKI UENO HOMARE UENO YAMA WILSON'S PINK DWARF As a relative newcomer to Japanese Maples, I'm overwhelmed by this list with little time currently to research them, and leafing out is probably four to six weeks away, so choosing by appearance only isn't an option. I'm hoping for some opinions as to which of the of these trees you would choose if you had the opportunity. I currently have a: red lace leaf (variety unknown), a Sango Kaku planted next to it and A.P. Osakazuki and Mikawa Yatsubusa in containers. EPP
These are pretty standard varieties - nothing really unusual. Looks like there are 50 some-odd cultivars here. I would offer to buy one of each at some ridiculously low price and see what happens. Go for the gold!
I'm not looking for any particular characteristics right now, I'm drawn to form of some trees and seem to enjoy variegated varieties, have areas of our yard that are fully shaded, to areas that receive eight or nine hours of sun.
What would be your offer, the orginal ad offered buy ten trees priced from $10 to $20 each (most at $10) and get five trees free.
I haven't grown all of those by a long shot, but I have heard of all of them, and there does not seem to be a bad one amongst them. Some personal favourites that I would not like to be without: shin deshojo - vivid bright red in spring murasaki kiyohime - great low dwarf with attractive spring foliage red filigree lace - small growing dissectum with very finely cut foliage AS Aureum Coonara Pygmy - Nice witches broom type with very small leaves Inaba shidare - good red dissectum Kasagi yama Kinran Sango kaku Seiryu (these last two grow larger than most of the others I listed) At that price it would be tempting to buy a whole load of them and sit back and pick your favourites over the next few years while they are still small.
For variegated I like: Orido"no" nishiki, Kasagiyama, maybe peaches and cream or kagiri nishiki For form I like: Germaine's gyration, red dragon, green hornet, kamagata I also like: Autumn moon, Shin deshojo, Koto no ito (whether or not is koto ito komachi (japan) or true koto no ito they are both nice), Bewley's red (don't have it but wish I did), Red spider (don't have it either but looks good)
Most likely they are stuff which needs to go away and does not have great value. there is a reason the great wholesale nurseries buy from a handfull of select grafters, they can not afford to buy trees which are just not quite top notch. I have learn the hard way about buying the right trees and over the last year or so i gave away truck loads of low end trees. With all this, it is all up to what you want from your trees. If just want ok trees than all fine and dandy, buy away, they all are great varieties to own. if you want the special japanese maple trees, you will find thay do not come cheap or in big truck loads.
For those who has patience, it would be a great bargain. I agree with Amazingmaples and feel the same way. I rather have 1 great good looking specimen tree rather than 10-20 little 2-3 gallon trees I am done with little grafts and little 1-2 gallons I have been hanging on to a lot of little 2-3 gallons for years and I just don't get the enjoyment out of them like I would with 1 big good looking specimen.
