Hi All, I was wondering how one goes about naming or registering a new A. palmatum cultivar. Is there a process of some sort and a way to validate that what I have is something novel? I'm very new to all of this, so any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks much
There are several options, from trademarking a name to obtaining a plant patent. Here are some links that may be informative: http://www.plantpatent.com/index.html http://www.johnsonlawgroup.com/view_articles.php?id=261 Regards, K4
from newsletter "winter 2007" of The Maple Society http://botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/maplesociety :for maples the address is The Registrar the National Arboretum,Westonbirt,Tetbury,Gloucestershire GL8 8QS England,is the branch (for maples)of ICRA=international cultivar registration autority more info www.hortax.org.uk ciao
The other point is to be sure that it is worth describing as a new cultivar, i.e., is sufficiently distinct from all the thousands of other existing cultivars to merit cluttering up the index pages with yet another new one.
Hundreds of other cultivars in this case (Acer palmatum), rather than thousands. Many already in existence are closely similar to other ones. Look at books like Vertrees/Gregory, Japanese Maples (Timber Press) and Van Gelderens, Maples for Gardens (Timber Press) to see if any shown there are like yours.
Wikipedia on Acer palmatum: "Over 1,000 cultivars have been ..." Obviously wikipedia isn't always reliable, but I see no reason to doubt it here.
hehehehe I would think there are definitely thousands Well ... if there isn't, there are definitely LOTS
I'm away from my office but my recollection is that the Van Gelderens suggest in Maples for Gardens (Timber Press) that about 500 are thought to have been named over time. Not all would have still been in existence at the time the book was written, new ones have come out since. As many different ones as there are mentioned in books like Maples for Gardens and Vertrees/Gregory, Japanese Maples (Timber Press) there really aren't that many, as far as it goes. Other kinds of garden plants do number in the thousands.
here www.dvandermaat.com Dick van Der Maat write over 1000 cultivar .... ok for me too more are very similar..
Well he certainly wouldn't be likely to have hundreds of redundant names, nor have every introduction ever made so there must then be something approximating a thousand having been named over the centuries. Of course in Europe they do call Acer japonicum etc. "Japanese maples" as well - probably these are included in his 1000+ kinds. Related Sec. Palmata species and their cultivars would add a fair number to the collection, although nothing like the total produced by A. palmatum.
Over here Acer japonicum and Acer shirasawanum species are normally included in the general expression of 'Japanese maples'
