Hi I see in my aceretum one phenomenon ,the bark of the acer osakazuki acer capillipes and acer cappadocicum in winter are red ,turning grey ,green in spring is normal for this acers?Which is the cause? Regards alex
Osakasuki: No way Capillipes: the small twigs OK, branches and trunk striped Cappadocicum: small twigs ok , branches and trunk no Gomero
Alex, my Osakasuki has a purplish bark that is quite striking, but I wouldn't call it red at all. I don't (yet) grow capillipes, but is cappadocicum I have 'Rubrum' which has pretty dark red twigs, and subs. sinicum also. The twigs of 'Aureum' are more of a yellow/green. I was struck walking around today by x consipuum 'Silver Cardinal,' the twigs are glowing, more brilliant red than any of my Sango kakus. Pectinatum 'Alice' also has a pretty red structure. I guess that like the rest of us in western Europe you haven't seen much in the way of cold yet this winter. I think that without the cold we don't get the best winter bark display. A Cornus alternifolia 'Winter Orange' that was positively glowing this time last year is, well, brown... rufinerve 'Winter Gold' is similarly unspectacular. I guess you need 'winter...' cheers, -E
I agree Emery, this cultivar seems to be a showpiece at all seasons. By the way the twigs and young branches of my Cappadocicum 'Aureum' do show a good deal of redness; Gomero
"conspicuum" of course, consipuum sounds like some sort of exotic soup. Maples of the World suggests that Silver Cardinal may have A. rubescens parentage; I guess if this accounts for the more showy twigs compared to the other conspicuums. Can't help but wonder if this plant should really be grouped with the others. (I don't have Phoenix to look at by way of comparison, yet.) -E
Hi Emery good expresion exotic soup!! I have Silver cardinal and for me is exact name; but in the another forum (maple photo U B C) the name is rubescens, in the "maple for the gardens " acer x conspicuum is a garden hybrid ,A davidii x A pensylvanicum, but Rubescens Tickled Pink is very similar . I have A. pensylvanicum Erythrocladum and in this seasons have spendid red bark striped for me S. cardinal is in this group Regards A.
'Silver Cardinal' is quite different from the other Conspicuums that I have (Phoenix and Elephant's Ear'). It is closer to Rufinerve 'Albo-limbatum' and to some davidii's hybrids that are commercialised under Acer davidii x rufinerve 'Albo-limbatum' (or as davidii 'selection'). Once I showed a picture of my 'Albo-limbatum' to a well known European grower who sweared it was 'Silver Cardinal' Gomero
Many maple species often have reddish first-year twigs, those that have such coloring on older wood or are more intensely coloring than usual (such as some of those mentioned here) are the ones that gain notice. Don't know the specific phenomenon causing a smooth, red twig to become muted, maybe also start to roughen the second year.
Another authority it is interesting to consult is the Hillier's Manual. x conspicuum is listed as elsewhere as davidii x pensylvanicum, with this interested comment on Silver Vein: "Silver Vein (A.davidii 'George Forrest' x A. pensylvanicum 'Erythrocladum') A strong growing snakebark maple, making a small tree, the arching branches conspicuously streaked green and white. Leaves large, 3-lobed above the middle with a tapering point, rich green above on long, red stalks. Raised in our Chandler's Ford nursery by Peter Douwsma from a cross made in 1961." I have Silver Vein (a leaf and flower is currently my 'avatar' here) and it is a lovely maple. It does not much resemble Silver Cardinal in the twigs or other bark. Hillier's do not group Silver Cardinal with the other conspicuums, as it turns out. It is listed separately under A. Silver Cardinal, with this entry: "A, Silver Cardinal (A. x conspicuum Silver Cardinal) A small tree with red young shoots and white striped bark. Leaves glossy dark green, the blade to 13cm long, on a 10cm red petiole. They are shallowly 5 lobed, the terminal lobe long and tapering, variously blotched, mottled and streaked with white and pink when young. It is said to be a seedling of A. pensylvanicum but appears close to A. rubescens. AM 1985." This affinity with rubescens may explain why Silver Cardinal is listed separately from the other conspicuums. Since Maples for Gardens is a more recent publication than Maples of the World, the listing of rubescens as a synonym in the former may further show opinion trending in this direction. Gomero, it seems to me that there is a fair amount of variability with rufinerve 'Albolimbatum.' For example the leaves shown in Japanese Maples 3rd Ed and Illustrated Guide to Maples do not to my eye resemble each other that much; and neither looks much like my Albolimbatum... Although mine is closer to that of the Vertrees book. Go figure. -E
Hi Gomero my Silver Cardinal and R. Albolimbatum have similar leaves but different bark is different striped pink for S.C. white for R. A. ... I search again and I read that Rubescens Silver cardinal is synonym!!
Alex, yes of course, you are right about the bark, I meant the leaves. Sometimes a variegated davidii's hybrid may display a bark close to Rufinerve. In this case a key differentiator between Rufinerve and the davidii's hybrids is the shape of the tree, if the branches are upright it is Rufinerve, if they arch it is a davidii's hybrid. Emery, I have seen in nurseries in Europe (you probably too) a lot of variegated davidii's hybrids, grown from seed, with bark and leaves very close to Silver Cardinal. To me the key difference should be the leaf size due to the pensylvanicum parenthood for Silver Cardinal. Gomero
