I have a maple tree that has branches with both variegated branches on one side and solid leaved branches on the other side. Any clue how this is happening?
@Dan Dougherty, Hi Dan this is called 'reversion' where the stronger plain leaves start to take over the weaker varigated leaves. It happens all the time nothing to worry about. The tree is reverting to its stronger parentage. Cutting out these branches is the only way to keep your tree with varigated leaves. I do this regularly on mine so as not to have to remove very large limbs. Hope that's of help.
Yes, @Acerholic! Big help. The tree is to large to cut out either sides’ branches. Thought it odd how it is basically one side variegated and the other side is not.
Hi Dan, your tree is called Acer platanoides 'Drummondii' (Drummondii Norway Maple). It's a great tree (I've got a couple of them) but notorious for reverting as Acerholic described. Basically what happens is that you get a green twig, then that "takes over" the branch, and within a couple of years, the whole thing is green. They were widely planted by towns around here, and almost all of them are now plain green Norway Maples. What's more, when they revert to green, they get a lot bigger than planned, so many towns then had to take them down as they outgrew their emplacements. If you don't cut off the green side, within a couple of years it will all be green, and growing like crazy. Decisions! cheers, -E
Hello everyone! I'm glad to see this post today. A friend of sent me pics of a variegated seedling he found in his yard a few days ago. Should the solid green leaves be removed?
@LoverOfMaples, good morning D. If he wants a varigated tree they should be removed, but I would be concerned with that one as so much would be removed and it could cause the trees death. I have had variegated seedlings of my own, only for them to revert strongly. I've not been able to successfully keep a 'seedling' from reverting. But have done so with my grafted JM. Hope that's of some help. Have a good day D D
Hey @Acerholic. I told him to remove all the solid green leaves but also told him to wait until I verify that's the right thing to do. I will let him know today. Thanks for the reply D.
It's unusual to see a variegated Silver Maple, there are a number of them listed in the literature but most "no longer in cultivation". I don't recall ever seeing one. The variegation on this one is certainly viral, @LoverOfMaples , like the 'Drummondii' the OP was asking about. So if the green isn't removed, it will revert. The risk of killing it is, well, one silver maple seedling, a pretty common item... also a lot of the variegated leaves have a fair bit of green on them, so I think it will be able to get some nourishment. Cutting off unvariegated branches will quite possibly encourage the variegated parts to grow more, also. So if you do want to keep it as a (new) variegated A. saccharinum, removing leaves/twigs is pretty much the only option. Of course it may "get healthy" and revert anyway.
In Vancouver (along York, from Vine to Cypress, four blocks), there are street trees planted on private property, as there are no boulevards on the south side of the street. That means I was able to look them up to find the name Acer platanoides 'Drummondii' for a few of them. All of them had some degree of reversion, from a single branch to complete. I just photographed the two furthest east.
What a shame they haven't been looked after properly. They do need some surgery fairly soon to stop a complete reversion.
