Can you ID this tree?

I bought a japanese maple last weekend. The tag simply says "Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood' - 10-15 feet tall, 6-8 feet wide." It was one of several like it at the nursery and they were all labeled the same way. The nursery did also have the bloodgoods that I am more familiar with in a different section. This nursery is very large and deals extensively with professional landscapers. So it seems hard to believe that it would be mislabled, but I haven't been able to find any pictures online of bloodgoods that look like mine. Would love to know it's full name if anyone can help out!.

Here's a picture of the tree

Here's a closeup of the leaves...

Ooops - wrong picture. Let's try that one again...

It's not a Bloodgood. Here is the foliage of Bloodgood. It's probably a redder tree if it were in more sun. Beautiful garden, by the way. Mine has a green cast because it's in the shade too.

Any 100% ID is impossible.... But it is of Matsumurae leaf form definitly not a Bloodgood which is a palmatum leaf form as Doss has shown...it is a really nice tree whatever it is ..David

Hi, I recommended that Songs post her pics here in hopes that maybe someone could figure it out. Can you give her an idea of what is typical of Matsumurae type JMs? I'm still a newbie at this.

laura

I will take a guess at Burgendy Lace.

Dave

Vertrees' Book on Japanesse Maples has a photo and that looks pretty close, though as I've said, Songs, the experts are these folks. Here is some info from the book, which is a wonderful resource though:

- Spreading, upright tree, up to 6 meters high, develops a wide canopy given room. Although upright, classified in the smaller tree group (not exactly sure what this means, but it is classified as Matsumurae as David said, I know those tend to have a sort of wide shape, and many weep)
- Foliage spring and summer is "the typical burgundy red, but as the season progresses it turns bronzy or greenish".
- Needs shade as it would burn in full sun
- Leaves are deeply divided, seven lobes separated virtually to the leaf base. Lobes held closely together so that they leaves appear longer than broad.
- Leaves 6-10 cm long, 8-9 cm wide, sharply toothed on the margin

Laura

Being that Burgandy Lace is a pretty ( more than most) common tree ( comparitivly not on the level of Bloodgood or Crimson queen though) ...I would say Dave is right.... there are a other more obscure similar ones ( can't think of names off hand but I have seen them) but if I were a betin' man I d put my money on Dave's cards... those other trees less likely to be found at a commercial nursery let alone mismarked..but as I said there is no 100% way to know and we really don't even know whether it is grafted ...or seed grown which would make it NOT a named cultivar ...If they had several exactly like that it likely was grafted thus Dave's guess I think is a good one David

Thank you so much everyone. I googled Matsumurae Burgundy Lace and they do look and sound very much like mine.

Hopefully it will like (and fit in) the spot I put it in. It definitely has room for 10-15 feet tall, but if it gets much wider than 8 feet, I might have a problem. It gets some early morning sun and some mid-afternoon sun. But I would doubt it gets enough sun to burn.

I know where the original is and it is approx. 25-30' tall by 15-20' wide

My first thought was 'burgandy lace' as well, but I agree there is no 100% way of telling what it is unless you do a dna test.

Hopefully you will be able to keep it pruned to a size that is manageable for its site. You have such lovely gardens.

Laura

I propagate both Burgundy Lace and Suminagashi from cuttings. It looks like Suminagashi to me.

Otis


This message was edited Jun 27, 2007 8:30 PM

Here is a photo of Burgundy Lace foliage.

Otis

If it's a suminagashi Songsofjoy, you are a very lucky tree buyer. It's a beautiful tree.

The images I've pulled up do look very similar, but mine is not a very rich burgundy color. There is a lot of green, but that could be the result of shade, correct?

What is more special about suminagashi, Doss? I don't know a whole lot about JM's. I spent a few bucks on it for sure ($529), but I've seen much more expensive ones so I'm guessing mine is not something particularly unusual. It's a good size tree so I figured I was paying for the size more than anything.

Suminagashi has such beautiful leaves and the coloration is so lovely Mine grew in full sun. It stayed bright all summer long. Any red tree grown in shade will turn green to a certain extent. You spent enough on that tree that it should have at least been properly labeled. It's beautiful anyway no matter what it is.

If you haven't planted it yet and you want to move it into more sun do it very gradually. That will keep it from being shocked by moving too fast.

And wow Otis. Those are a few trees you have growing there.

Here is a photo of my Suminagashi stock plant. This tree is shaded 1/2 the day so the color is not the best.

This is how Suminagashi looks in full sun at the end of June.

Gorgeous - both of them. I don't have enough sun anywhere to give it full sun so whatever it wants to do in terms of color is fine. I do have another red dissectum in the front yard that is quite red even though it doesn't get full sun either. So who knows how it will turn out once it's established. Doss, I've taken a "stroll" through your gardens recently - just beautiful!

Glad that you enjoyed it. It's such a wonderful thing for me and I'm having such a good time.

Your suminagashi is beautiful no matter what color it is. :-)