ID needed!

i purchased this jpm at a nursery. the tag on it was acer pa. karasugawa but when i checked it out in the plantfiles, it doesn't match the description or a picture i found on the net.

GOOD LUCK!!! There are many factors making identifying hard ...#1 a new young ( I am assuminmg here) can look vastly differnt now than it will when mature or even the next year ...#2 Potted plants can sometimes look differnt cause of fertilization or other problems ...#3 A tree in on part of the country can look somewhat differnt from another due to weather conditions...this is especially true with red tinged green varieties like yours. #4 if it is mismarked it may be seed growm check for graft in which case it may BE of that tree but not true to it.#5 and MOST importantly ....there are so many varieties that are almost identical you'd have to be Karmack to know for sure and have Ed Mcmahann say "You are correct oh wise one " ;>) David

I might add sunlight and time of year can also fool even an expert which I AM NOT!!! I had a red dragon come in that had been in a green house and it sure didn't look like a RD til it had been in full sun for 2-3 weeks...yep it sure was ....Unfortunatly I don't think that will be the case with yiours. I would agree there is NO WAY this is acer pa. karasugawa .... even under extreeme conditions...of course it is often easier to tell what is is NOT especially with a cultivar that is "differnt" read unusual like Karasugawa.... It is a acer palmatum though ...big help huh!!!! David

one more post ...there is a slight possibility we are wrong and this is a karasugawa...I found this description from world plants..."A highly variegated cultivar to about 12'. Although it has prominent
white variegation, it is even better-known for its bright pink new
growth on both leaves and twigs. "The last part fits your plant.... maybe it just hasn't started showing varegation Some take a while...seems unlikely but possible...the yellow green leaf base color is suspicious ... no where is that mentioned ...period .. David

thanks david! it's suppose to be a four yr old plant. here's a picture of the tree. i'm going back to the nursery friday, i'm going to ask them about it.

It's a really nice sized and nice lookin' tree whatever the h-ll it is...but the only thing I would worry about is size for that location...the kara may be ok size wise but what ever "it" is may not ... You might though be better off as far as location which seems sunny!!?? since the Kara according to Todd via according to Vertrees is tempermental sun sensitive and you are a little bit north of it's alledged zone (although i have been known to "zone stretch" MYSELF from time to time ;>) )David

Looks like 'Katsura' to me....was the new foliage bright orange before it turned yellow?

thanks, todd. i have been checking and that was my next question. http://www.gardening123.com/GardenGuide/Plant_Desc.asp?MS=1&SS=12&ID=111070&plant_cat_id=19&group_id=11. i found it on the net.

Good call Todd ...both start with K so that might have had something to do with the screw up.....and it does look like a kat...but you may never know for absolute sure especially this year..... I doubt the nursery folks will remember what it looked like when it first leafed or be honest or absolutly certain about it unless it's their only JM and they only have a few trees in stock period...You may know next year upon your own observation or in fall with it's fall color ...One thing Todd would a kat be that big in four years in a pot it seems awlfully big for being potted and just 4 years old what dou think????

The first year I had my Katsura it put on nearly 15" growth! It just kept sending out new leaves all season...even into October! Needless to say, it was toast the next spring as the wood was so soft going into the winter. I found this one to be quite tender but then I'm at the limit for JM so they have to be the toughest cultivars to survive in my neck of the woods.

I would certainly take a leaf or two to the nursery and see what matches them there...if they have another one. It is a lovely tree regardless.

Laura