I live in Florida around zone 9/10. I got these just about 50 miles north east of Tampa also zone 9. I know their not red maples the leaves are smaller and a darker green I don't see any red in the leaves Their all green.
Probably Acer truncatum or a close relative. One point to check, if you pick off a leaf, see if the stem bleeds a drop of white sap.
OK I trimmed a few leafs earlier and didn't see any white sap also looks like Acer truncatum don't grow down in central Florida
In the closeup, looks like it might be Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweetgum) - are the leaves alternate or opposite?
Not truncatum, the leaf bases aren't flat enough. Sweetgum is a good guess and if the buds aren't opposite it is not a maple.
Hi Emery, I agree with you. By the way, what are you going to do for the coming frosts? My maples are about 80% already leafed out and the forescast here is for -2/-3°C in the next 4-5 days. It will be probably worst where you are. Gomero Gomero
Hi Gomero, Your situation is more dramatic than ours. Lots of fat buds here but only mandshuricum, silver cardinal and ginnala in leaf among the maples. We've had some cold that has really slowed things down. I also have some hope it won't be too bad. We didn't have frost this morning, the worst I see forecast is -1 for tomorrow morning. The wind is meant to come from the west starting Friday with some cloud cover, if it is so we will probably be OK. I planted 30 trees yesterday, by and large they are still only just waking up. What's your plan, are you out with the protection or just hoping? -E
Wow Thank's! This tree had me fooled. They really look just like a maple Tree by the way the bark is pretty ruff in areas also when I cut a few leaves the odor was strong.
Ouf!!!, last night the forecast was between 0 and -2°C but in reality it was close to 0°C. I spent 3 hours covering the most young/tender plants...... Apparently the trend is positive towards cold but wet ( so above freezing) weather. We both risk snow Sunday and Monday. Gomero
All credit to Michael for spotting first! Ron, how do you mean winged stems? Gomero, we were frost free this morning too, in spite of the forecast. What really worries me is the isobars expected over the weekend, running north/south (but not too tight, luckily.) For us here that means hail and north wind, although somehow I am seeing west wind forecast. Things seem confused, but it is a dangerous weekend for sure. I don't believe the snow will amount to anything which usually means we'll get 20 cm... :) -E
The ridges of thick bark running along the shoots. Some maples can have them too, it isn't diagnostic for Sweetgum.
Yeah thanks Michael for helping me out on identifying what kind of tree it was. I definitely thought they were maples :) Its a nice tree to add to my collection
Watch out Emery, the forecast for your area (http://www.meteociel.fr/modeles/gfs/temperatures-2m/42h.htm) calls for temperatures down to -4°C for Sunday morning. If that is confirmed you should probably protect the young maples. Gomero
So the follow up is that we woke to an inch of snow... Forecast confirmed tonight for -3C, I got some protection on mandshuricum, silver cardinal, Higasa yama, pennsylvanicum, shirasawanum palmatifolium. Many other (not palmatum) maples look like they might suffer, but are too big to protect easily. The sad okagami actually is trying to leaf out on its remaining branches, but even what is left is too big to cover. So it will be insult to injury, I'm afraid. Meanwhile the lawns are once again covered with pools of standing water, and I'm expecting more snow (and wind and hail) overnight. Beurk. Roll on spring. -E
