What's in an Acer name?

I have recently planted an Acer Palmatum in my brand new garde. It has a name which to me does not enhance as it has been called "Bloodgood' which sounds rather gruesone to me! If I had been asked to name it I may have chosen something better such as 'Beau Scarlet'. Is anyone else growing this Acer variety?
The little shrub to the right is a pittispotum 'White Cloud' and I see I have a weed growing there in the picture - - looks like what we call fat hem!!

This message was edited Feb 3, 2006 11:19 PM

The Latin name for Maple is Acer and palmatum has something to do with the lobes and maybe the veination of the leaves. 'Bloodgood' would be the cultivar name for this Japanese Maple. How these names come into existence is beyond me. It could have been somebody's last name.

Pretty tree. Mr Oak himself is not around right now or he could probably answer your questions off the top of his head. I did a peek on the Internet for you because I'm certainly not familiar with this cultivar and here's what I found-

http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/shrubs/ACEPALC.PDF#search='Acer%20Palmatum%20bloodgood'

Hey! Neat roofs on the houses in your neighborhood!

A weed called Fat Hem? You got me on that one. Maybe I know it by a different name.

No extensive research from me, except that I understood it to have been named/introduced from Bloodgood Nurseries on Long Island in NY. It may have originated from an old line Netherlands nursery.

I think the name for "Bloodgood" London Plane Tree has the same history. Bloodgood Nursery, and I believe the nursery got its name from its founder, Elias Johanna Bloodgood, or something like that.

Scott

I'd guess "Fat Hem" is a typo for Fat Hen? (Chenopodium album, a common weed), tho' I can't see any in the photo to recognise for certain

The cultivar name 'Bloodgood' I'd guess is to do with the leaves being (supposedly!) blood-red in colour.

Resin

Well, I have certainly learned a lot from all the replies. The hyperlink info was very interestin as was where the name bloodgood originated. It makes sense now that one knows why it came about.
I went out to the garden to check that weed - not fat hen at all but what I know as mallow. This is sprouting up everywhere in the borders. Our street used to be part of an orchard and was then developed into a housing area. We have incorporated compost and a general fertilizer into the area so the dormant weed seeds have sprung to life with all the good growing medium they now have.
All of house roofs in our strret are made of corrugated metal. Earlier built house at the back of our home have some decramastic tile roofs. Even older house have concrete tile roofs but the majority of houses throughout New Zealand have metal roofs. So nice to hear the rain falling on them!

Hello ferrymead. The tree you selected does best in a sheltered location, and I couldn't help but notice it looks a mite windy out there. :-)

Thanks Rraire and Resin.
I did take the phot on a windy morning, N Z being such a long and norrow country does have lots of wind. A spate of westerly winds occurred just after it was planted so the canopy was loosely tied with a thick loosely woven string to give the leaves some protection. Our house and the neighbours house is only about 20 fee away from it so it is sheltered from all winds except the westerlies. The neighbour has a pittisporum planted a coupl of yards adjacent to it and this is a fast growing shrub and will give it protection from those winds. So, I think it will do O.K.