The first ones to bud out in spite of light frosts in the morning but 12-14°C (54-57F) in the afternoon : Katsura, Little princess, and Orange Dream :
@AlainK you are about a week ahead of us. Real nice weather the past couple of days, should see some action very soon on the bud front
Outside, the big silver maple is waking up. Inside, little japanicums are coming out. There's a cute seedling from Itaya in there. Also an interesting maple that was sold as Acer heptophlepium, though I knew (and know) it isn't that, that doesn't stop nurseries from giving it that moniker. How do I know it's not heptophlebium? Aside from the fact it doesn't look like it, (from number of lobes etc) the mother plant was collected in northern Vietnam, which is outside of heptophlebium's range. This is an interesting Acer aff. campbellii which has pretty purple leaf undersides. It was studied specifically during one of Dan Crowley's expeditions there, and describes both verbally and photographically this maple exactly. Dan, curator of Westonbirt and vice-chair of TMSBI, is the world's leading expert on Vietnamese maples.
A couple of photos taken last Friday. We've had a few days with temperatures around 18°C in the afternoon. Rain and lower temperatures coming this evening... PS : Plant fair yesterday.
Everything is right on the edge outside, with the warm weather we've been having. Here are a few outside maples: The second elegantulum is thanks to AlainK! -E
And here are a few inside the polytunnel, starting a few days ago until today. It did freeze inside since then, but most everyone was OK.
@AlainK - your steaming ahead down there, great photos! I’m very happy for all mine to stay tucked up, with closed buds for another month…until the risk of Jack turning up is long gone! I meant to say that S.Jordan is a good pick..I’ve had that one for about 5years and it’s grown very strongly and pushes out great spring and autumn colours. I’ve moved it a few times (in its pot) but it’s seems to be very happy where it’s currently located.
Starting to move fast here too, though always a couple of weeks behind Alain's tropical climate. The cuckoos are back, just heard one calling from the Aceretum, so loud! They usually prefer the forest. Aphids are multiplying, I can't tell if my new Potassium Soap is working or not, but so far it doesn't seem to be damaging young leaves, anyway. Firstly a couple of pictures of A. serrulatum. This is grafted, from Esveld, and is identical (no doubt the same mother plant) as the other one I had for over 10 years. I don't have another picture of the wild aff. serrulatum, but one thing I've always noticed about these, here and elsewhere, is how red they are leafing out. The undersides are also initially red, with fine white tufts of hair on the vein-axils. It's interesting (to me) that MOW describes both serrulatum and aliverianum as "entirely glabrous", which doesn't really match this one. Makes me wonder. The vegetal scans on the MS website do show the tufts of white hairs, on both serrulatum and oliverianum. The younger leaves of serrulatum are still distinctly red-tinged. A couple of pretty flowers from A. rubrum. 'Tilford' distinctly showing it is monoecious, with both male and female flowers on the branch. MOW says rubrum is "rarely dioecious", but this is the first time I've seen one that isn't... Acer okamotoanum is always worryingly early. No flowers yet. Finally, the the tunnel, this strange A. pauciflorum seedling has decided to flower, demonstrating it really is A. pauciflorum! It is either 3-lobed or integral, so strange looking I had practically decided some buergerianum seed have gotten mixed in, But no, it is just a very unique young maple. Cheers, -E
Seedlings galore ! A few of them are from Dicky5ash, I keep losing the tags. Anyway, I just hope they survive and thrive.
Snap. Was just about to start a thread "24/25 seedlings." I will anyway, and maybe you'll post some there as these come out more. I have a lot that are headed for life as understock, but a lot that are worth growing (for now anyway) to see what they do. Meanwhile, here are a few more that have made themselves known in the last couple of days.
Time to join the party! Beautiful trees so far everyone!! It's funny that I get to join in this early, as my spring is technically not for at least another month in my cold Rocky Mountain climate. But since my trees are kept in the garage over winter they begin waking up early, and the shuffle begins. Out into the sun during days above freezing and back in again at night. I tend to collect the spring interest types for the most part. These first three shots are new one for me: Acer palmatum 'Marmalade'. Akane, Seigen, Beni chidori, Clarabell
Caperci Dwarf, First Flame x2, Japanese Princess x2 Kotohime, Katja x2, Mikazuki x2 Kiyohime, Peve Multicolour, Mikawa yatsubusa Katsura a. palmatum seedling
finally some action in the lower mainland of BC. Here is the Bonfire with its 1-2 week opening of the yellow inner leaf opening up, The most beautiful leaf in our collection. Also added shishigashira, and a seiryu that somehow exploded over the past couple of days
Beautiful! I really like bonfire. I actually have Bonfire, Seigen, and Wilson's Pink Dwarf from the same grower that almost look identical by foliage. They do have different growth habits, but they all show that same yellow inner leaf opening to pink/red.
I've got quite a few leafing out over the last couple of weeks. As usual Katsura leading the way with Little Princess. It seems as though my Fenna which I've had two years seems to have tried to wake up and given up. Bit of a shame as it's a really delicate beauty, I might try and get another one at some point, but it felt like it was always on the edge and not especially strong since I got it. Hino Tori Nishiki One of my own seedlings Westonbirt Corillinum Dying Fenna 2x Lion Cub 2x another of my little seedlings from 2021 I think.
There are a few ladybirds around the garden at the moment, doing their best to guard my maples from the aphids. The ants are giving them a bit of trouble though. This one is working away on my Pixie as it leafs out.
Here are a few of my small bonsai this spring. First is standard palmatum. We refer to this as Yamamomiji (at least in bonsai circles), but apparently there is now a cultivar under that name as well. I can see that getting a bit confusing unfortunately. Then Arakawa, Bonfire, and a. buergerianum.
