Hi guys, I got an acer from my mom a few years ago, back when an acer was just another plant to me... (I know... young and stupid ;-)). I threw away the tag and I just cant' remember what kind of tree it was. Something in my mind tells me it had "japonicum" on the tag, but I can't see how this one would be a japonicum to be honest. Can anybody see what type this might be? It's clearly a dissectum, but I'm thinking about the standard dissectum, maybe an Inaba Shidare, but I find it extremely hard to tell with these dissectums.
Hi Kurt, tbh I don't think it's dark enough for Inaba shidare, but I've just this taken a photo of my 'Crimson Queen' for you to compare.
Could just as well be one, but it's so difficult to tell. I don't know why they name these species if they all look the same?
That's exactly why I didn't reply : some cultivars are so similar, unless they're clearly identified by their port or any other clue, it's almost impossible to tell which is which. Here are three photos I've just taken of my 'Dissectum atropurpureum' : it's grafted, so I suppose it has a "sexier" name, yet I think I'll never know - but who really cares ? And though they were taken a few seconds from each other, from a different angle, the exposur to the light make the leaves look a bit different :
The leaves look too dissected and "feathery" for 'Inaba shidare' and the branches don't look right. It reminds me of 'Dissectum Nigrum' but as others say above there are many cultivars with a similar look. If it was to be 'Dissectum Nigrum' the most notable distinguishing feature is visible in the early spring when the new shoots and opening leaves are covered in a fine silvery pubescence.
Here's mine for reference, bud and leaf + flower: Some of the other dissectum forms have a slight pubescence but on 'Dissectum Nigrum' it is really striking if you view it on the right day.
Oh wow yours already is flowering, nice! Seems to me it could just as well be a Dissectum Nigrum... but if I would sell it one day I guess nobody can see the difference anyhow. Do acers only flower after a given number of years? I see large trees often flowering and producing seeds, but sometimes I also see it on small ones. Is it an age thing?
Also, because grafted plants are essentially clones they are already old when they are "young" plants so that is why some of them flower when still small. Japanese maples grown from seed generally take longer to flower. I noticed flowers and samaras on some of mine about 20 years after planting the seeds but I imagine this could probably be reduced quite a bit with better growing conditions.
