I've been looking for a while now for a specimen of what I believe is the true original "Inaba shidare" cultivar. In my area the nurseries all seem to carry a version that looks nearly indistinguishable from Garnet and Tamuke yama. These versions of it do not match the description or picture in Vertrees. Many years ago I had a graft that matched the Vertrees description but unfortunately it died when I was out of town. The true Inaba shidare is very purple, has larger leaves than most disectums, has a more upright growth habit than most disectums, the bark is dark purple almost to the point of being black, and the basal lobes on the leaves point completely backwards. If you know what I'm talking about, does anyone have one in their collection that can send me a few scions or know of a nursery source for the true Inaba Shidare? Thanks everyone.
I believe I have a true Inaba Shidare. I could send scions. I only saw on picture. Did you post more than one photograph.
www.MrMaple.com has 1000 cultivars in North Carolina. IS is on of the most common maples and available from many vendors in the US. There are 2800 or more named varieties of JM's. Do you have many cultivars of JM's? Where are you? Do you graft your own trees?
He's not having a problem finding Inaba Shidare, it's the true form he wants. Being the most common is a bad thing, not good if your trying to find the original because they get so diluted once they get into too many hands. People start selling seedlings as named cultivars and next thing you know, you can't find the true original. Kind of like Bloodgood, you can find one at every corner nursary and big box store but I don't think I've ever seen a true one. I have two but both are different and I don't think either is true even though they are both grafted. Once they get diluted it's almost impossible to know if your getting a true form. Makes you wonder how many have been lost, it's frustrating. Anyway, I'd love to get my hands on a true Inaba Shidare but I don't think any of the ones I've seen have been true and I sure wouldn't buy one online without seeing it. I would be ticked off if I got it and it ended up looking just the same as the ones at the big box stores which I'm sure are not true.
Yeah you said it right rufretic. All of the grafts at nurseries around me labeled "Inaba Shidare" look nothing like the picture or description in Vertrees. You really can't trust the tags at the big box stores; when I was there in the spring they had a bunch of trees labeled "Seiryu" but they were obviously "Butterfly". That example is easy to sort out the mistake, but it's much harder to spot when they are similar varieties. I also have two versions of Emperor I that I bought at the same store that look significantly different.
I got my Inaba Shidare from Carl Munn of Munn Nurseries in Oregon. It matches Vertrees picture. I trust Carl more than anyone in the US. I guess we can all make mistakes. Anyway, the scions will be free and no one will be out money. Carl has a great website with great pictures. Brian Upchurch in Ashville also has a great website and has the greatest integrity. Great to chat with you guys about my passion.
I wasn't reffering to your Inaba Shidare, I just meant in general. The thing that stands out to me is the dark purple color. I have 9 red dissectums and none look even close. I'm basing this off pictures so maybe this dark purple Inaba Shidare doesn't exist and I've been seeing the true Inaba Shidare and it just doesn't stand out from the other reds. Does yours seem darker than your other reds?
The true "Inaba shidare" is very much more dark purple than the red disectums like "Tamuke Yama", "Garnet", or "Crimson Queen".
I have three 'Inaba Shidare' but none of them has the lovely purple of your photograph. However, one must remember that these trees will exhibit different colourations depending on: Where they are grown (i.e. country?) Soil Climate Sun or shade Time of year Rainfall Drainage Dare I say .... even the colouration of the photograph??? Really ... there are so many variables that it is difficult to 'generalise' on what might or might not be the 'true' plant. When you add all that to the modern trend of selling seedlings as the 'parent' plant you have considerable difficulty Mefinks you search for the impossible :)
I think I may have found one, and at an unlikely place, Lowes. The color on this plant caught my attention next to all the other red dissectums and I thought to myself, if it's Inaba Shidare, I'm buying it. It was so now it's mine. It's about 3-4' tall and was only $54. Plus I got it for 50% off so it was a great find in my opinion. I just hope it keeps it's color in the place I planted it. Here is a picture to see how much different the color is. The leaf in my hand is from my Tamakayama that gets about 3-4 hours of sun in the morning and then shade. It stays pretty red but looking at the picture it sure doesn't look like it next to the Inaba Shidare.
I concur with Sam's comments, my 'Inaba Shidare', planted in the ground for 6 years, is never identical one season to the next: leaves could be larger or smaller, the color more or less intense,....... The only thing that remains constant is that it is a nice red dissectum. Gomero
As a complement here are some comments from another experienced grower, Amazingmaples, taken from another thread: Gomero
Sam and Gomero, your comments are all very true, but it doesn't alter the fact that (at least) two cultivars have been offered for sale as 'Inaba shidare' for many years with the result that plants in the trade are hopelessly mixed up. In fact, the seasonal and cultural variations described may be part of the reason why the lumping together occurred in the first place. I have two 'Inaba shidare' maples from different suppliers and after several years of observation I am absolutely sure they are not the same clone. I don't know if either of them is the genuine article, but one is superior to the other.
