Still hanging on the verge outside here, as the weather has taken a colder turn, though plenty of action in the tunnel. But the earlies are coming into flower, and a few more into leaf. Boar damage, pretty extensive actually, below the garden. Came for the chestnuts and beechnuts, stayed for the worms! A. mandshuricum with the spectacular red buds From the Section Rubra, Acers pycnanthum, rubrum, and saccharinum starting to flower, the rubrum and pycnanthum cultivars are a bit later. A, opalus is very beautiful in Spring, but we never get seed as it always freezes. A. buergerianum seedling, offspring from Angyo Weeping. A. diabolicum, which I moved inside as the seedlings are going to leaf out. It is always much earlier than sinopurpurascens, that seems one way to differentiate them. Acer aff. pseudowilsonii, coming out of dormancy. It first froze, then was nibbled by a rodent in the polytunnel, so I cut back (again) and brought it into the dining room window, more for mouse protection than anything else. Cheers, -E
We had -1.6 a couple of days ago, and one of the trays that hang outside had a thin layer of ice this morning. But it's in the coldest place of the garden, and I'm not sure it was below zero elsewhere. Anyway, the few that have leafed out show no sign at all of damage.
Really! Well ice is ice, so I guess it froze. No freezes for the time here, though they're sure to come. IIRC it got to 0.1C this morning. Because it's been cold during the day, the tunnel isn't staying much warmer, it was 0.3C min this morning. (Well, according to my super cheap thermometer, anyway.) It's so wet under the ag cloth, I don't think the ground is retaining much heat either, although it will probably help for a hard freeze.
I've never seen the video (if you want to call it that), but Apostrophe features amazing composing, concepts, and performances. That was a truly superlative band, not that Frank ever settled for less than the best. His auditions were legendary. Saint Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast, demonstrates why Frank is regarded as one of the very important 20th century composers.
I saw him on stage in Paris, and in Bourges. One of my favourite is "Inca roads", but he was such a great composer, and guitarist. Anyway, back to maples. I repotted a few this afternoon. And now many of the palmatum / amoenum are about to leaf out or are just leafing out. Acer tegmentosum, and one that I lost the name : Acer 'Katsura" has caught up with 'Orange Dream' : 'Redwine' with 'Bi-hoo' on the left : 'Tama hime', Mapi-no-machi hime', and 'Koto hime' : Flowers : 'Orange Dream' has dozens, if not hundreds, what I think is a circinatum of some sort might have a feww too, and 'Butterfly' as well :
Looking good Dan! Just for the record, I have it as 'Allen's Gold', introduced by Pat McCraken in 2012. I wonder if this is that tree, and otherwise what source do you have for this spelling? Ah, just found your note on the subject, will see if I can clear it up. Did you get your tree from Pat, or under the other name? Thanks, -E
Thank's Emery, Here's the link to Pat's website and the listing. https://www.garden-treasures.com/products/acer-palmatum-alans-gold I bought it directly from him, spelled 'Alan's Gold'. I have seen Mr. Maple, Maplestone Ornamentals, and Conifer Kingdom all list it as 'Allen's Gold' though. I wonder whether the others intentionally switched spelling or not? Dan
Thanks, I had checked that out. It's a bit of a mystery. My contact received it from the nursery as an evaluation, labeled 'Allen's Gold', back when, and that's how our records have it. So he is going to contact the nursery to find out if the "Alan" is correct, and "Allen" is a synonym, or the other way around. It's certainly possible that someone at the nursery got the labels wrong at the time, which then propagated through the trade, or equally that someone got it wrong doing the site. In any case I'll let you know when I find out. Has yours shown the Pine Bark characteristic yet? Meanwhile, here's some more on topic pictures from the last couple of days. Still not much happening with JMs except on the seedling tables. Lots of large swollen buds, though. Shaggy Bark Maple always has superb buds. This Thai collection just went through its first winter dormancy, no damage. A. ukurunduense is always very early, and usually suffers for it. A lovely maple though. Some buds of the Linden Leafed Maple are a hot, lipstick pink. This is outside, ahead of the seedlings in the tunnel. A. rubescens is another pretty early maple. There are a couple outside in the garden that haven't burst yet. It's reasonably tough in small frosts, though. The fellows in Boskoop tell me that the true 'Butterfly' leafs out with pink edges, that only fade to cream later. This one from Dick van der Maat behaves like that. It was suffering in the ground after the '22 drought, so I pulled it to a 35l pot, where it is currently recovering. After wintering inside the tunnel, (just for convenience, not because I thought it would help), it's about the first JM into leaf. Here's another of the Formosa Trident, leaves now taking full spring form. Interesting, no flowers on it this year, which is unusual. This A. discolor was received as a seedling, from a tree sold by Esveld. It corresponds fully to the description of A. oblongum, for which FOC (and everyone else) now considers discolor a synonym. I wanted to plant it this year, but too wet and too advanced, so I moved it up to a 20l and will try again next year. -E
'Koto hime' with flower buds. I already saw samaras developping in the past years, but each time they fell before being mature. I wonder what viable seeds would yield... 'Phoenix' :
Colours are spreading. 'Tama hime', 'Katsura', and a few leaves of 'Red Wine' : 'Redwine' Special Guests : black aphids. I don't worry, really, as long as they don' damage the tree, they're food for the ants, some birds maybe. Quite a few on the 'Katsura' in mid-distance... 'Lil' Princess' 'Beni komachi' : 'Momoiro koya-san' : It looks that more trees have flowers than last year. The "early bird", 'Butterfly' has very many : And the ones on this young one seem to confirm it's Acer tegmentosum. It's so hard to find the name of some when they've lost their tag, but the first flowers are a good clue to identification :
Great photos all :) You chaps in France are unsurprisingly a week or 2 ahead of central UK..Little Princes is the only JM properly out in my garden..many starting to unfurl though. I think I’ve just got enough time to repot 3 large trees where the buds are fat but not yet started to open..20+year old Osakazuki, Peaches and Cream, Reticulatum..200 ltr pots eek!!
Update on what's new between March 10-16. Starting to get a few things happening outside now, with the warm weather. I think we're about 3 weeks ahead, but since that seems the new normal, maybe we're just on time? The best way to tell is the bluish bloom on last year's shoots. But many hybrids also have the bloom, the leaf shape, the flowers, and might be sold under any species name. Within the cultivars of Sec Macrantha maples, the species is almost meaningless. New growth coming out on coriaceifolium. It kept less leaves than usual, last years growth didn't really have a chance to harden off. A pretty yellow x oliverianum from last year's seedlings. Quick, let's name it! ;) Oliver's maple, this a nice green one leafing out, from good seed provenance. The Formosa maple, a graft and probably the same mother plant as the one that struggled outside for years. Manchurian Maple, there are still a few of the pretty buds there, but mostly leafed out since these were taken. The Three Flowered Maple (also Shaggy Bark Maple) earning its name Bees really buzzing. I took a little video, which shows it better, but they seem to be doing really well. Honey bees in the Neapolitan Maple A. opalus. Unidentified but pretty maple leafing out, possibly A. elegantulum. Good provenance whatever it is, but was mislabeled. A. aff pseudowilsonii, showing new and last year's growth. Should really be A. buergerianum f. integrifolium 'Nokoribo', but the taxonomy of buergerianum is pretty unsettled. Love this one coming out. And this one, too. It's a sub-tropical maple, and very rare, I worry that it won't prove hardy. Only the second year in the ground, I now wish I had waited before planting. No flowers in the greenhouse for this little fellow, but in advance of the two other specimens in the garden. Once they get some roots under them, Sec Lithocarpa maples seem very enthusiastic early in life, but soon relax and become very slow growers. I think this guy is adorable. Hope it lives. v. ningposense is another form that is disputed, although it seems quite distinct. Alain's A. laevigatum now putting on beautiful young leaves. Cheers, -E
My Acer triflorum is not as advanced as yours Emery. Yet, I had a look at last year's photos and mine is about 2 weeks early : Reversion : snip ! ('Butterfly') I noticed flowers on 3 that never had any so far : 'Seiryu', 'Emerald Lace', and the (so-called) 'Flavescens' :
After seeing all these pictures I'm tired of waiting for anything substantial to post so here is my slight contribution. circinatum seedlings
When I was at "middle school" (11-15), I took latin the first two years. My teacher would call me "Hilarius" - see the kind of kid I was ! In the latin book, there was a young girl called Flavilla, because she had blond hair. Like Flavius for the men. So to me, 'Flavescens' means that the colour of the leaves are close to yellow. Nothing like that on the one I bought...
ahhh I see :)) A brunette bought my one for my last birthday :)) and it doesn’t have yellow leaves either! It’s further ahead than most of mine..I’ll take a photo in a few days
Here's an update from Wyoming. Oh, and @emery have you heard anything on the Allen's vs. Alan's spelling yet? I could also call Pat if you'd like. We spoke over the phone a couple of times about my order. I wish I had just cleared it up then, but alas. -- I can't say that there's much sign of rough bark yet. Possibly the slightest bit right around a few of the older nodes. I don't think these are more than 2-3 years old though, and from what I've read, this variety takes a while to bark up. The Seigen and Coral Pink just came in from Mendocino Maples in CA, so they are a bit farther along than the rest.
Hey Dan, I haven't heard yet, but we have a meeting on Fri, so I'll get an update then. My friend was looking forward to getting back in touch with Pat, I guess they haven't spoken for a few years. But thanks, I will certainly let you know if he can't reach Pat. Cheers, -E
Here's another batch from the last few days. Starting to get more action outside, as well as gray mold in the tunnel. A few of the pictures look wet, that's the copper/sulfur mix, but since it hadn't dried yet it didn't discolor the leaves, either. A couple of unlabeled pics, the first is A. fabri, the second A. distylum (not very pink, hopefully the ones in the garden will be better), and an unknown variegate. I also slipped in a cute little Rowan. Edit: I misspelled the pycnanthum cultivar, it should be Asayake nishiki. I also noticed an aphid on the calcaratum, but I've seen a ladybug in the tunnel, too. It's interesting, I have two calcaratum that are sister plants from the same batch, but one is consistently much earlier than the other.
