Hi, thanks for these great pictures. Some unusual stuff there! i don't know how common it is, but I have never seen Fuji-nami, and rember loving the name when I processed It :Wave of Wisteria (Wisteria is called Sugi Cherry in Japan). More interesting yet is Nakamado Weeping! There must be a Japanese name for the tree, maybe simply Nakakamado shidare, but I will wind out. The DB had it reversed as a synonym of 'Treasure', but it is the other way, the ancient Nakakamado is the original name. How did you manage to come by it, if I may ask? Would you say Hoshi kuzu is a Marginatum, with variegation only on the leaf margins, of Variegatum Group? Thanks again!
Hi emery! Yes, some unusual maples keep popping up each year at this nursery. I make sure to check their site as soon as they post new stuff. This year with Nakakamado Weeping and Crispin Silva Mikawa Yatsubusa (only two available of Mikawa), was unbelievable. They’ve had Fujinami in stock the last three years for some reason. Maybe nobody’s buying. Or it’s very popular. Very dark leaves. Interesting with the Wisteria connection. Seems to be semi-pendulous and sometimes purplish, so that would make sense. Not too many collectors or knowledge where I live. Gives me an advantage when something special shows up. Interest and knowledge is growing though. One time they had a single large Shishigashira at my local garden center. Was even priced to cheap, but waited and managed to pick it up at half price. I would say Hoshi Kuzu is in the Variegatum Group. Mostly I like the general appearance of the tree. So dense and fluffy with an enormous amount of tiny curly leaves. Really vigorous. Very late and slow to leaf out. Some years good fall color.
Yeah, I can only agree: your garden looks spectacular! Thanks for the extra pics of Hoshi-kuzu. IMO that puts it pretty squarely in the Marginatum group, but as usual YMMV! You're very fortunate to have access to some of these cultivars, with a public that doesn't jump on them immediately! I processed (the name) and fell in love with Mei-hō-nishiki today, partially because the name "Brocade of the Singing Phoenix" is so evocative, but I love the cream/green variegates, and the picture in Yano is spectacular. At least it exists in the EU, but naturally no one actually has it for sale! Here are some more pictures of maples coming out over the last few days. 'Moonrise' is looking better than it has, I think all the rain last year really helped. Si maybe finally on the right track? I included 3 pics of Acer shirasawanum, the plain species continues to be a maple I turn to again and again. This individual has been sick with Verticillium for perhaps 20 years, which gives it an odd shape, and each winter I fear it will lose another large part. But it hangs on and provides a lot of pleasure. 'Toyama-nishiki' is the correct name for the maple that was sold as 'Goshiki shidare'. Lileeanne's Jewel had me feeling like "Lilleeanne's Fool", it looked all red, but not the variegation has appeared, lol. Acer albopurpurascens is unusual for the white-ish new growth, it took mine some years to do this. Interesting, it froze this winter but came through fine. A few years ago it froze and half the plant died, but hopefully it has now hardened off. A. cappadocicum ssp. sinicum is a cracking maple, I'm delighted to have healthy seedlings after the winter.
Thank you AlainK and emery. You seem to have a whole forest emery! I am hoping to find somewhere to expand. Very inspiring to see all the other Acer species you have. Really like Acer pubinerve. I will refer to Hoshi-Kuzu as being in the marginatum group as well. I was thinking that when some leaves are almost entirely coloured it wouldn’t be. But I see now it’s always from the edge of the leaf.
Here's another batch before I turn into a pumpkin for a few days. Difficult time to leave, especially with so much watering being needed... but so it goes... The first photo is my view from the bedroom,, Orange Dream and Villa Taranto with the Hawthorne and Rhodies coming in. I also slipped in a shot of the new bed of "yellow" azaelias, not very pleased with the orange, but they are still pretty. "Lemonade" is an insteresting Lemon Yellow seedling of A. cappadocicum, still evaluating but almost ready to graft, the colors remain very lemony. The amoenum is just a random selection, it's an elegant maple with good FC, nothing special but a fine garden plant. Mikawa yatsubusa is just a shot to show how it grows in full sun. Well. Remember, yatsubusa doesn't mean "dwarf". it means "bushy." So you treat these plants as dwarfs at your peril! -E
@LoverOfMaples It's one of a batch of seed I collected in the parking lot of a big supermarket, where unusually they planted it with A. cappadocicum 'Aureum'. The seedlings ran the gamut, lots of nice ones, I planted one this year, and have given away or sold a few. This one though is a super lemony color, much less gold than the others, but still with those great red tips. Seems to be less vigorous for the moment. I haven't grafted it yet, but hopefully this winter it will get first eval grafts from a couple of places. There aren't many cappadocicum cultivars around, and this one is really different, so I gave it a tentative name. Of course the main problem with these is there's not much rootstock, even 'Aureum' is pretty hard to get in a lot of places, for all that it's a great tree. How are your grafts from Ed doing, everything make it? Mine all look great! That was an amazing night, lobster, filet, and soooo much wine, lol. -E
Love that name. I think you have a winner! Man oh man. That was a great night. Wish we could do that more often, lol. All except two made it. I'm planning to go down this fall for a visit to hang for a little. Maybe I can pick up a few newbies and collect some seeds.
Probably my last pictures on this thread, Spring is about past, although lots of flowering shrubs are in full... Still a few maple just starting, or out and recognizable! Acer turkestanicum and a few of the pentaphyllums take the prize for being last out. A turkestanicum had me really worried, but it always seems worrying. Some of the pentaphyllum broke really early, others just going now, or even showing no signs. Of course they may be dead, also! It's been a fun thread this year, thanks everyone for sharing. -E
