Maackia amur

Do any of you have one of these? Mine is about 10 years old and 8 or 9 foot tall. It has never bloomed. It also has a tendency of getting nipped back every spring, but that was not the case last spring.

http://pic16.picturetrail.com/VOL635/2413050/6513951/61654987.jpg

What I am wondering...has anyone had one that bloomed?

~Marian~

To get it to flower, apply several years' worth of Time, liberally sprayed over the foliage and roots.

Resin

As might be expected, this nifty little tree is a personal favorite. Mine is about 15' tall and I'm guessing it's 8-10 years old. It flowered for the first time last year...or was it the year before. The best thing about the flowers is they bloom in mid summer when not much else is happening. In any case, Resin's advice (albeit sardonic) is good. Is yours in full sun? If not, that might have some impact on flowering.

Thanks, both of you.

LOL , Resin, haven't I 'seen' you on the GW tree's forum?
I like your answer. I sort of suppected that was the case.

Maackia, I have noticed your posting name, and figured you were familiar with the tree. I like it even if it never blooms for me. I just wish it had a common name. I have planted an Asao clematis at it's base, so maybe I can call it the clematis tree? :-)

~Marian~

~Marian~

So, Amur maackia isn't snappy and memorable enough for you?

It's the bane of too many fine plants, to be saddled with eminently forgettable monikers. I really believe (unless terryr launches an all-out multi-front campaign) that this will ultimately be the demise of the very fine plant known as the wild raisin.

Just not awe-inspiring.

Yup, I couldn't agree more with VibrationValet. Another common name for it is Chinese Yellowwood, but maybe it's time to come up with a snappy new name for this underutilized tree. Any ideas?

Sorry V V. I have nothing against botanical names...after all Metasequoia glyptostroboides, and Dizygotheca elegantisima are two of my favorite plant names! :-)
( Just ask my 48 year old son. )
I just do not know how to pronounce Maackia ! :-(
I have never heard it called Chinese Yellowwood.

~Marian~

Interesting that yours gets spring frost bite. Never seen it happen up here. Yours wouldn't be M. chinensis? But I could tell you if that sp. has more of a tendency or not anyway.

~Marian~

All tongue in cheek here. Keep a Styphnolobium upper lip, and all.

Think of it as a Maack(-truck-)ia, and you'll be right on track.

And to burglarize the good name of Cladrastis...no, one must do better than that.

Maacktheknife:

As a proud owner of a newly-flowered specimen, how about...

•Alfalfa tree
•Diamond-lenticeled tree
•First M tree

Mmmmemorable. Maybe the Cheesehead tree?

Leftwood, I'm sure it is M. amur. I bought it from Forest Farm, and I have complete confidence in their merchandise. I believe the nipping is due to the fact that warm spells frequently precede a late frost in this area, and catches the early leaves before they can harden. That didn't happen last spring, and not only did the Maackia not get nipped, the Hydrangeas were extra floriferous.

Okie Dokie, V V . So one of the 'a's is not pronounced?
I have an old "Self-Pronouncing Dictionary of Plant Names".
It says : " Maackia ( for Russian naturalist Richard Maak) --Mahk-ee-uh." That sounds as though the 'h' sound is pronunced?
Do you have a pic to share of your's in flower? I'd love to see it.
Thanks for the suggestions(???) LOL
I'll stick with "the Clem-a-tis tree" ... :-)

If Vibirdinhand doesn't want me besmirching the native Yellowwood, how about Clemastris?

Maackia, this is fun! I wonder what else I can post about???
:-)

I had one at my old house, and have one at the new house. Both have bloomed every year. They are a small version of Cladrastis, not nearly as spectatcular. The emerging leaves are much more impressive. Unfortunately, I have had the same problem as you with frosted leaves. Twice in the last six years I have lost the entire first round of leaves to freezes.

I have tried Cladrastis twice, and lost both. I think our soil is too much clay, and too acid. I'd love to have one. You are right, Kevin, they are spectacular.
I love the Maackia's emerging leaves too. So soft and pastel gray/green.
When my tree was shorter I enclosed it with protection in the spring ...... a fence cage around it and sheets drapped over and around it. I will just have to let nature take it's course from now on.

My Maackia is about 8 years old, not even close to blooming at 5 feet or so, but I never have problems with frosts. Even last spring (or was it the previous one) when some native species were nipped in the wild.

What kind of campaign am I launching??? Full frontal what?

Terry

I looked at Maackia amurensis, too, but the tree doesn't have any fall color, which is a bummer. I won't plant any trees or shrubs now that do not have reports of showing at least some fall color.

Cladrastis is supposed to have fall color, but my tree didn't show any color last fall. I would guess because it was the tree's first year in the ground. I have high-hopes for this year, though.

Has anyone seen any fall color on their Maackia?
Thanks,
Mike
(just in case the cladrastis doesn't make it...)

(edited to correct a spelling error)

This message was edited Feb 27, 2006 9:56 PM

Mike--not even the slightest hint of fall color here.

I wish I could say that mine has beat the odds and shows nice fall color, but I'd be lieing. You can lump Maackia in with Magnolia, Gymnocladus, Syringa reticulata and no doubt several others as desirable trees with this shortcoming. I can't imagine not planting them just because of this 1-2 week/year deficiency, but if space is limited I suppose one has to draw the line and make some difficult choices.

Gymnocladus usually does pretty well down here in the fall color department - yellow leaflets with red rachis. I wonder if you're too far north for the color to develop, or you just have a bland specimen, or we are just lucky? (Speaking of Lucky, when is that dude gonna get on board here?) But the others, including Maackia, show no color here either. Like you, we grow them for their other virtues.

Guy S.

No fall color on mine either, but I agree with Maackia. The spring leaves are so pretty, and the fact that it is an unusual addition to my yard makes it worth having.

I knows my Maackia gots no fall color, but derned if I kin 'member if da leafs freeze on the tree er not. But on sum a dem trees, like Alnus x spaethii, theys dooz. Then itsa mor'en just 2 weeks a icky ucky. End missin' outta 2 weeksa fall color fer a one weeka silva maackia spring, well dat's just dern subjective. (I likes dem big words.)

Bote my KCT's gets da britest yella in the fall. Maack's just got imself a goofy one.

Elwood

Hmmmmm. Elwood, I've been living in Arkansas for 30 years, and I don't know anyone who talks like that ....lol
I am a native Idahoan.

Apparently I'm the only one having a KCT that doesn't develope lovely fall color. I look forward to having you all submit pictures of your trees this fall. Don't worry about remembering this...I'll remind you. ;)

Oh my gosh, I wasn't even thinking about you being from Arkansas! Why is my foot attracted to my mouth? Really, I hope you didn't take offense as none was intended.

I lived just across the border in Jay, Oklahoma for a year helping run a hydroponic greenhouse. Our delivery route took us into Arkansas from Fayetteville north and west. Got my first conifer cuttings (outside of a propagation class) from a man in "Something" Hollow, AR. I forget the name. He raised exotic birds for a living and had a nice little arboretum. He had the most weeping form of Ramshorn willow I have ever seen to date. Anyway, no, I never heard anyone talk like my previous post down there either. In fact . . . never mind. (I was about to insert my foot again.)

Leftfoot

Leftwood, no offense taken, just amusement. :-)

Bob,
Here is a not-so-good photo of my Coffeetree in fall color last fall.
Mike

This is a pic of some of the spring leaves on my Maackia in 2004:

http://pic16.picturetrail.com/VOL635/2413050/5564425/131312320.jpg

The fall color on mine is just as bad as treehugger's.

Scott

Decrepit,
The picture was taken when the tree was past its peak fall color. The leaves were a very clear yellow at their peak.
Mike

Treelugger,

I was being facetious. I could tell the color was a bit past prime because of the slight browning of some of the inner leaves, and the absence of leaves altogether on some of the background trees.

I have about six KCTs growing in pots, and they do exhibit a fair amount of variability in their fall color. All are yellow, but some are indeed brighter than others. But, of course, what plants do in pots could very well be different from how they perform once in the ground. Nevertheless, I do believe not all KCTs are created equal in the fall color department.

Scott

I am still waiting to see pics of your Maackia's in bloom.......Or even not in bloom. :-)

I enjoyed this whole thread, especially Leftfoots, which I think would be harder to write than he ususally does.

I do grow or try to, Cladastris lutea, it is 11 years this spring and has never had a bud.

My KCT is only 3 years old and has bloomed twice, but not especially good fall color.
DonnaS

I'm glad you enjoyed it , Donna, even though I was originally trying to get info about Maackia amur !!!! :-(

An update on my Maackia amur. It is covered with bloom buds! If a disaster does not strike it, it will eventually be covered with blooms. It appears to be very, very slow to develop them.
Any one have any suggestions on how long from 2" long catkin-like buds to open blooms?

While we're still waiting for yours, here's some from KY...June 19 at Bernheim.

Far left big trunk and near foliage are from 45 year old specimens; younger round headed tree in the middle of the picture is 20 years in place.

Another 45 year old, showing it's buds and foliage, June 19 at Bernheim.

It's blooming!!

http://pic16.picturetrail.com/VOL635/2413050/6513951/163308725.jpg

http://pic16.picturetrail.com/VOL635/2413050/6513951/163308632.jpg

No matter what I do, I cannot get a direct link! :-(

P.S.
Thanks for the pics,V V . I think mine is too close to neighboring trees to get that large.

BTW, I have decided to just call it the Mack Tree ! :-)

Marian

This message was edited Jul 8, 2006 5:52 PM