From the 12 seeds or so I picked from my Acer shirasawanum 'Atumn Moon', 3 germinated. A small hefty one, a long legged one, and one that I gave to my niece because it was too similar to the plain species - and I need more space :-) One has much smaller leaves than the type, it's in 50% full sun, the "little one" has large leaves, and although in the shade 70% of the day, displays colurs that are more red than the one in full sun. In full daylight, the red spot at the base of the leaf/top opf the petiole looks almost electrical. I don't think the seeds were fertilized by another maple, at the time it was the only Shirasawanum I had left. But the genes of the granparents must have reajusted in a different way. Cool :
They never cease to amaze. Bit like our children really, same parents but so often very very different. Great thread Alain.
Very cool!!! I have a general question to you AlainK: do shirasawanum or japonicun seeds ever germinate in their first year, or one has to wait for at least two?
My shirasawanum germinated after a 3-month stratification in my fridge. I tried a few japonicum or the like, that are supposed to have a double stratification, no luck at all. PS: just call me Alain : it's a very common first name in my generation, out out the 25 members of our bonsai club, there are 5 "Alain", hence the family name initial ;0)
Those are really nice plants, I love the big leaves with the red spot! I had only 1 shirasawanum germinate this year, and no japonicums that I can remember. I have a terrible time with them, and even if they do germinate they tend to die in the first couple of years. I need a greenhouse, I think that must be the secret! Heheh. Always impressed by the folks who grow lots of 'Aconitifolium' seedlings, they almost always make nice plants. -E
Almost no rain for the past week here, but cloudy. Good opportunity to take photos that are not too contrasted. Bro1 and Bro2 are so different, all the more than the big leaved one was mainly in the shade until two weeks ago, when it was very hot and sunny, and the small leaved one has always been in almost full sun : I will ask photos of the third one that I gave to my niece that lives near Annecy, in the Alps.
I agree with Emery, I think the brother with the red dot has a lot of potential to be something special. I will watch this thread with interest in 2021. Do hope it's not an anomaly for one season only.
