I have never seen so many on my Japanese maples as this year There is going to be a lot of seed propogation next year :) I am even getting some on my lace leafs which I am anxious to try, as I have yet to grow a lace leaf from seed These are on Acer palmatum 'Suminagashi'
Sam, lots of samaras here too. First time I've seen them on Villa Taranto. Although "Maples for Gardens" says that A. pseudoplatanus 'Corstorphinense' rarely sets fruit, it is loaded with great tresses of pinkish samaras, which contrast beautifully with the now yellow-green leaves. -E
I confirm. Lots of seeds all over my maples. But I am really surprised how early they have appeared this year. This phenomenon has already been mentioned in another thread in this forum by members in North America: more maples than usual are setting lots of seeds very early in the season. This widespread fact seem to exclude local conditions as the trigger and point out to some global parameter(s) as being the cause, but, which one?? Gomero
Sam, I'd be happy to send you some v.t. seed. I'll contact you in the late summer, or email to remind... -E
This tree near me in Vancouver, BC was identified last year as Acer pseudoplatanus and I love the samaras. The tree's not much to look at, I have to say. That development permit sign was there last year.
Hi Wendy, Hope they don't cut down your tree... Very pretty samaras indeed. The A. pseudoplatanus var erythrocarpum form is a naturally occurring variation of the regular sycamore. Yours also has elegant, acute angles on the samaras. We have more than a few of these growing naturally in the hedges here I also enjoy them very much. Trees you might enjoy with this feature are A. cappidocicum ssp sinicum, and A. heldreichii ssp trautvetteri. On the subject of fruit generally I have hardly any this year, even on the normally prolific sycamores. -E
Depends on the species, perhaps? ;) I guess A. palmatum doesn't need to be that old, certainly less than 10 years after grafting. Not sure with real seedlings though. -E
emery, my trees have far less samaras this year as well. last year 2007 was a prolific seed year and now 2008 much less pretty much on all my maples
Funny, my Villa taranto is just about my only JM with seeds this spring -- about 6 of them. Perhaps we could work out a trade involving some Guinness stout.
'Hogyoku' and 'Osakazuki', my oldest trees, are most heavily fruited this year. Besides these the others are very light to not at all.
hehehe Chimera was good enough to send me some Villa taranto last year, so you are out of luck They haven't sprouted yet though :)
I've been so eager to see the samaras turn on this tree this year, the one in posting #9 that was identified as A. pseudoplatanus var. erythrocarpum (if I understood correctly). But now, they look like they're going to dry up before turning red, as it's August now, and I see my original photos were from June. So I wasn't imagining that it was taking so long. What they're lacking in colour this year, they're making up for in size. They're right at the top of the range I read about in length (depending how that's measured - does the length include the seed? If yes, it exceeds what I read by quite a bit). I don't see any measurements for width, but the individual blades are generally just about 3cm across. Surely these are champion samaras. I happened to see the owner of the property, the day he had just cleared all the weeds from the site. He is hoping his development approval comes through soon (this is four years after the permit request photo was taken). He thinks he will not be allowed to cut down the tree, though truly, it's pretty weedy itself, wrapped around a utility pole and an elm. I went on at great length about what a special tree it is, but I'll be surprised to see it part of the new development. And even if he keeps it, I'd expect the new building owners to figure out some way to make it disappear.
Pseudoplatanus samaras are fascinating because it is so obvious that they are either with seed or a dry sack. My 'Leopoldii' and 'Brilliantissimum' produce every year. Like you picture above on the left, the tips of the wings turn brown. I pick Leopoldii in early September because the embryoes are mature and I often germinate in Sept with this year's crop maybe 2-3 inches tall by late Fall. I take the embryoes carefully out of the seed pod for more immediate germination. Has anyone ever had their pseudoplatanus 'Esk(imo) Sunset' produce seed?
That was in 2007 This week I checked in the fridge and, lo and behold, dozens of sprouting Villa taranto seedlings I have potted a number of them up since .. still some more to do Just goes to show ... never give up on seeds that haven't sprouted for a while :) Thanks Chimera ....
It's a bad year for seeds here in 2012, and in pseudoplatanus erythrocarpum just went straight to brown. I actually lost 19 variegated pseudoplatanus seedlings over the winter... Mice ate almost all my seed from outside seed beds, so this winter I'm going to get a little fridge to store them in. However I did get a few Villa Taranto seedlings, oddly the only palmatums that grew. Sam did any of the VT seed I sent you last year germinate? VT is sans samaras this year, though. -E
Do you know Emery .... I have just re-checked, and the Villa Taranto seedlings that have all sprouted are the ones you sent me last year, and not the older ones from Chimera Now ... just how does one place a "RED FACE" on this board? :) Just goes to show that French seedlings are faster than Canadian ones .... LOL (no offence Chimera, just my attempt at an embarrassed joke)
Ha, the well known fertility of "Le Cerceuil!" :) (If only it were so, in fact...) Not to worry, no offense was taken! They make nice seedlings, glad you have some. Maybe more next year too, hopefully. I guess I need to get mine into pots, actually.
Has anyone started collecting them yet? I am wondering if I should collect earlier since our spring was a full month early this year. I usually start mid-Oct. Would there be a problem collecting them Early Oct., like next week?
I usually pick my 1st seeds on October 1st and they have always been fine & germinated the next Spring. Good luck
Abundance of seeds in all maples aver here this year, but I will not be picking any since ,I do not have place for any more seedlings ;-)) Gomero
