Being new to the world of Japanese Maples I have been observing how all the leaves are reacting to the climate and getting a feel for when to water and when not to. One of these maples that has really captivated me is the Aesculus x neglecta 'Erythroblastos' Shrimp Pink Horse Chestnut. In the morning the long large leaves are fanned out. High noon they are slightly drooped down as if resting. As night comes around, they perk up again. I am curious about the scientific reason for this. Is it from the plant regulating the light/temp absorbed, or from it trying to scoop in moisture, perhaps both? Out of all the different ones I have this one is the only one that makes a drastic change in leaf shape during a day cycle so I have been sort using it as a gague for positioning them all to prep for summer.
I have moved this out of the maples forum. Though horse chestnuts are also in the Sapindaceae family, the maples forum has been exclusively about maples, and has not included other Sapindaceae. I don't think we use the term "maples" to refer to plants in this family other than Acer. Someone could correct me.
So if its happening during the day around noon does it mean it needs more water or less? It's been very warm here so I have been watering in the morning, then it happens after that. Could it wilt due to too much water? I did read that they may wilt from too much water but that seems the opposite from most of my other plants.
new sapling about 1 1/2 feet the leaves turned green once they got larger. The soil it came in was a bark chip/potting soil mix with the green fertalizer ballsand I added a bit of the mix I do with barkchip/pottingsoil/spagnummoss/redwoodchips to help it fill a 5 gallon. Its cooled down abit and moved it to a spot that gets the early morning sun and plenty of cooler shade now and its leaves are sprawled out again looking healthy. Think its from heat stress.
Gotcha, it definitly is happier now. Most of the images of this plant online are with pink leaves. Wondering why this was so quick to turn green. Perhaps the warm weather we have here for CA spring?
I have one in a pot also, the colored new growth phase does not seem very long lived. I also have a 'Brilliantissimum' sycamore maple - the correct plant and not the 'Prinz Handjery', with leaves purple beneath that was sold to retailers by a nursery in Oregon as "Brilliantissimum" for a time - and it ('Brilliantissimum') seems to be "in the pink" longer (than the buckeye). However I haven't kept written notes comparing them. The maple is in the ground and maybe 12' tall now. I planted it where it is shaded by a moso bamboo hedge because otherwise it would burn during the summer, even in my comparatively cool and dull (Seattle) climate area. The only other place I have seen this plant (the maple) growing in the ground on this side of the Atlantic is the Frogwell garden made by the late Holly Turner on Whidbey Island. With a tree grown under the name that was 19' tall some years ago at the Rhododendron Botanical Garden in Federal Way actually being 'Prinz Handjery'. Anyway if you didn't understand at the beginning how this all ties together is both the buckeye and the 'Brilliantissimum' are basically the same type of color variant. What I notice being different about the behavior of your plant is that it quickly went almost entirely green instead of the leaves being mottled yellow for an extended period.
Very interesting information. Thank you for sharing. Yes it seems the drastic temp difference from east coast to west coast has really confused the little guy. Its like it really thinks its mid summer time already.