Maple Foliage Season

Unfolding maple foliage is an uncommon treat. Here are a couple of early risers. First, Acer pseudosieboldianum.

Scott

This is not a flower. These are new leaves, but do not adjust your set. Acer palmatum "Shindishojo" has intensely red, borderline pink, new foliage. Here they are just emerging from buds.

Scott

Wow.

Are you sure that's not Acer palmatum 'Maybelline'?

Does psuedosieboldianum usually leaf out this early for you, at least compared other japanese maples? I thought some of its additional hardiness might be attributed to leafing out later, but I guess I hypothesized incorrectly. I only have two little psuedos and this was their first winter so I have no real experience with this tree. My two still haven't begun to swell, unlike some of my other japanese maples mostly the japonicums and ones shipped in from warmer lands.

Willis

Hi Willis,

Only my second year with Acer psuedosieboldianun, so I'm learning also. The straight species is leafing out like there's no tomorrow, but A. pseudosieboldianum takesimense is still tight in bud.

Scott

Ah Scott, the true woody lovers love to watch unfolding buds and foliage. And maples, especially some of those asiatic ones, are high on the list of spring bud and leaf spectacles. I am still surprized how much farther along you are than we are. Very few woody plants here are showing any leaf color at all. Buds are just breaking on the corylopsis species. I would love to see more of these as they unfold for you. Thanks. D.

Beautiful shots, Scott.

I am also surprised that the buds on your trees are breaking already. I have had A. pseudosieboldianum in my yard since 2001 and this tree tends to break bud when most of the other trees are doing so (at least here in Mpls.) I have not noticed that this tree is any earlier or later than anything else. It does have a beautiful reddish tinge to the leaves when the buds first open.

One thing to note about A. pseudosieboldianum, is that it is slow to show its true fall color after being planted (at least for my tree.) The fall color on my tree was non-existent for the first few years after planting. I almost removed the tree because it didn't show any fall color. Here is a link to some pics of my tree from last fall. There are also some pics in the plant files from fall of 2004. The color is quite different between the two years.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/668839/

Scott,
Where did you find the A. pseudosieboldianum takesimense? I was not aware that there were any forms of A. pseudosieboldianum available.
Thanks,
Mike

Hey Mike,

Actually I bought it from a local nursery. It is being sold wholesale by Heritage Seedlings of Oregon, so I would think more and more nurseries should be carrying it. Too early to know how it will grow in comparison to Acer pseudosieboldianum, but it had nice ebony stems that I really like. I'll get photos for you as it comes along.

Here's a picture of newly emerging foliage of Carpinus cordata, taken today.

Scott

Acer tegmentosum "Joe Witt." New leaves.

Scott

Disanthus cercidifolius.

Scott

Thanks, Scott.

Beautiful photography, as always.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that your woody plants are breaking dormancy already - you're almost 3 zones farther south than I am - I'm on the north side of zone 4 and you're on the south side of zone 6.

I walked around my yard today and some of my plants are starting to break dormancy. My Ram's Horn willow has broken dormancy and my Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' is starting to get swollen buds. Hopefully, the warm weather will stay around and we will have a nice early spring for a change.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of your photographs (I almost called them pictures, but they're much too nice to be called "pictures".)
Thanks,
Mike

Shindishojo one day further on.

This weather is unbeatable, but a little unnerving. Things are way too far along for this little piece of Zone 6 with, oh, 48 days until the average last frost date.

Scott

Harden off Harden off Harden off Harden off Harden off...

Frost blanket Frost blanket Frost blanket Frost blanket...

Pray Pray Pray...

Field Maple

Norway Maple

Resin you composition is wonderful with the bud and the parent tree. As much crap as norways get I like them very much. There isn't a better climbing tree anywhere. :]

Scott,

great closeups of the emerging foliage! It's always intriguing to watch new foliage as it emerges and changes. I agree with the unnerving part of the spring thing. We've been pretty warm and the redbuds are about in full flower already. That makes us a full 2 weeks ahead of last year. I have a feeling we're going to have some frostbitten plants in the near future.

Regards,
Ernie

Forecast low temp for us Wednesday is 28F.

SB:

And you can keep those over there in MO River valley, thank you very much.

Scott:

No fair sneaking in Carpinus; make them get their own thread.

Here's a few maples making merry.

Acer truncatum 'XPL Red Leaf' from Dr. Pellet's MN hardy plants trials.

And then there is the green-leaved partner, with the alluring come-hither moniker:

Acer truncatum '761-50-SD'

Locked in surreptitious spring embrace...

Then, to burst forth...

...with a sunny spring song.

Nice pics, VV. I love the Acer truncatum 'XPL Red Leaf'. Is that a tree you received from Dr. Pellet for testing?
Thanks,
Mike

Both of those remaining two came from Dr. Pellet, from five different original selections.

They have both produced seed; I ought to send some around to folks interested in such.

I would love to try some seed from the 'XPL Red Leaf' tree to see if I could get a red-leaved tree. (:o)

I'll be more than happy to send you money for postage so I could get some seed once the seed is ripe.

I'll send you a dmail to get your address.
Thanks,
Mike

All of the last 4 of those are A. Truncatum? How wonderful. Hey this DG thing is no fair cause we here where it is cold never get to show pretty things cause you are already tired of it when it finally opens here. But thank you John for the beautiful motivation.

VV,

The photo at 910 is excellent! And put me on your seedlist. You knew that was coming, didn't you?

scott

Acer triflorum.

Scott

Acer robustum.

Scott

Acer palmatum "Kamagata," which is one Vertrees selected himself.

Scott

It is rude that winter interrupted this fine sequence of emergent Acers. I can only hope that some of the finery above survived.

Here's some of what did come through at my parents' house/landscape (Nicholasville KY) as of Easter evening.

Can get enough Acer griseum...

OK, more then...

Beginning to emerge...

Spreading wings...

Flowering...

And finally filling out...paperbark maple.

The hairs will help protect it a bit from frost.

Resin

Here's Acer ginnala with flower buds:

Prince Camille de Rohan Acer Psuedoplatanus