This photo is really a day later than I would have wanted. Triflorum is a pleasure every spring, less for spring leaves than for the buds. The buds swell and have a checkerboard pattern that a day later become like this. One of the great pleasures for this tree. The Japanese would have made a name for it had it been one of theirs, maybe the Chinese have one, who knows. This is very early, by the way. Usually Triflorum is a little behind the others, but is coming out with Katsura this year, both very early!
That is a good picture. This year my paperbark maple, acer gresium(if I spelled it right) had similar bud stripes. I have a pic here on my phone bit the ol' Samsung Galaxy did not focus so well.
Our Acer triflorum from Saturday 3/24/2012. It's one of the first trees to leaf every year. It's still early for it due to mild winter and very wwarm weather of late. Also our griseum's are starting leaf out as well. http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg155/arktrees/Spring 2012/DSC02394-crop.jpg
