Posted on February 28th, 2009 in maple trees | Comments Off
Japanese Maple - Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’
Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’: The fern-like foliage is bright green until autumn, when it turns crimson, red, and orange. Every garden deserves the beauty of a Full Moon Maple, but not all gardeners are lucky enough to have the space or live within the hardiness range of this fine tree. ‘Aconitifolium’ resolves these problems, however, by offering a dwarf habit that fits neatly into today’s smaller landscapes OR is compact enough for a large container, so that the tree can be moved to a warm area for winter north of its hardiness range. With richly colored autumn foliage, ‘Aconitifolium’ is a spectacular little tree.Before the foliage unfurls in spring, tiny reddish-violet blooms appear all over this well-branched small tree. Acer blooms are never magnificent by any stretch of the imagination, but these are a bit showier than most, visible on the bare branches. They are soon joined by fern-like, deeply cut foliage of bright green, which remains through spring and summer.But the real show begins in autumn, when the leaves turn intense shades of crimson, red, and orange. ‘Aconitifolium’ has one of the most spectacular autumn displays in the Japanese Maple family, radiating warm tones for many weeks. Be sure to site this tree where you can enjoy its incredible display every day.This dwarf Full Moon Maple may be staked to achieve an upright form, or allowed to grow naturally, which will create a cascading effect of foliage that is most impressive. It fares best in full sun in the northern part of its hardiness range, afternoon shade farther south, and in all climates needs protection from strong wind. Hardy to -10 degrees F, it is not happy in areas where summers are quite hot for a long period. Give it well-drained garden soil of any type, and it will flourish, growing at the rate of about 1 to 2 feet a year until reaching its mature size. Zones 5-7.
This fullmoon maple cultivar is a dwarf, mounded, deciduous multi-stemmed shrub or small tree which typically grows slowly to 8-10′ tall. Features palmate, almost fern-like medium green leaves which are deeply divided into 9-11 toothed and cut lobes. Leaves turn crimson in fall. Small reddish flowers appear in spring before the leaves and give way to samaras which ripen in late summer to early fall. As with many maples, the flowers are rather attractive close up, but are not particularly showy from a distance. Cultivar name translates as “foliage of aconitum” in reference to the supposed resemblance of the divided leaves to those of monkshood. This cultivar is also sometimes called fernleaf fullmoon maple.
Japanese Maple - Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’
Posted on February 28th, 2009 in maple trees | Comments Off
Japanese Maple Tsumagaki
Japanese Maple Tsumagaki: Each leaf of this rare Japanese maple unfurls a bright chartreuse with red edging. Acer Tsumigaki is an extremely choice subject for the woodland garden. Extremely Rare and Choice. Words nearly failed our Director of Horticulture when he saw this new Japanese Maple. “Unique! Delightful! Beautiful! Stunning!” he exclaimed, and you will, too, when you see the breathtakingly lovely foliage of this special Acer. The drooping, soft yellow-green leaves are edged in intense reddish-purple astonishing, and the reason why Tsumagaki is considered among the finest of the Japanese Maples (no mean feat, considering there are hundreds of them!). Come fall, the leaves turn a golden-yellow with crimson border. The plants dense, compact, rounded habit reaches some 6 feet high and slightly wider, making it capable of fitting in nearly anywhere; it responds well to formative pruning.Plant in full sun in the North to light shade in the South, in well-drained, slightly acid, organically rich soil. We give Tsumagaki our highest recommendation. Zones 5-9.
Posted on February 23rd, 2009 in maple trees | Comments Off
Acer Autumn Moon
Bronzy-burgundy spring foliage turns yellow-green in summer and rich orange and red in fall! You simply won’t believe the beauty of the ever-changing leaves on this stunning, super-vigorous new Full Moon Japanese Maple! Autumn Moon is not only the most colorful variety yet, but it thrives even in southern climates! Just listen to what the foliage does from spring through fall: the new leaves emerge a deep bronze-infused burgundy in spring, then change to bright chartreuse for summer. However, Autumn Moon keeps the new leaves coming well into summer, so you get tiny bright red leaves right on top of the yellow-green ones all season long! Then in fall, as you might expect, all of the foliage blazes forth in every shade of orange and red!Even if it weren’t so breathtakingly beautiful, Autumn Moon would be prized in southern and midwestern gardens, where previous Full Moon Maples have really struggled. This variety is vigorous, with thicker leaves that keep their stunning “”full moon”" shape much better and longer! It reaches about 5 feet tall after 5 years, and eventually matures to 7 to 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide.A hybrid out of A. shirasawanum Aureum, Autumn Moon is not yet widely available in this country, so I’m particularly delighted to be able to offer it here. I predict you will love it above all other Japanese Maples in your garden, so please select a choice position in partial sun and get ready to collect the compliments!Space trees 10 feet apart in moist, well-drained soil high in organic matter. Water well during dry periods. Autumn Moon is not fussy about soil pH. Hardy in zones 5-8.
Posted on January 3rd, 2009 in maple trees | Comments Off
Acer palmatum ‘Twombley’s Red Sentinel’
“This Tree is Red — YEAR-ROUNDWinter interest is provided by the branches and stems turning a deep, attractive maroon-red. This exciting new introduction from Ken Twombley of Connecticut has done what no Japanese Maple could do before: provide true four-season interest through its year-round red coloring! –No, it’s not evergreen. (That WOULD be amazing!) Instead, when the brilliant burgundy-maroon leaves drop in early winter, they reveal deep red branches and stems on the tree, which keep this brilliant color all season! There’s never been another Japanese Maple like it, and if you add only one new Acer to your landscape this season, we highly recommend it be ‘Twombley’s Red Sentinel’!The new spring foliage of this witch’s broom of A. ‘Bloodgood’ emerges bright red, remaining for a month or more until the hot weather of summer arrives. Then it burnishes a fine shade of burgundy-maroon that remains throughout summer and fall. Other Japanese Maples begin dropping their leaves as the temperature falls in mid-autumn, but ‘Twombley’s Red Sentinel’ keeps its foliage on the branches weeks later than other cultivars, surrendering them only when winter has truly arrived.After the leaves finally drop, it’s hard to mourn them, because immediately the deep red branches and stems of this tree are revealed. These are not subtle tones and shades; noticeable from across the garden, they are truly bright and vivid. Remarkable! And no matter what the winter weather chooses to inflict on your area, the red tones remain until the new spring foliage hides them again.The habit of this very slow-growing tree is interesting as well. When young it is columnar, becoming vase-shaped after a few years. But by the time it is 10 years old, it has assumed the spreading shape that will eventually create a fine canopy of shade in your landscape: it is 8 feet tall but fully 15 feet wide. The branching is very dense, so it acts as a nice high hedge or privacy screen as well — but it takes time!
Acer palmatum ‘Twombley’s Red Sentinel’
Posted on January 1st, 2009 in maple trees | Comments Off
Acer palmatum ‘Beni Schichihenge’
No Leaf Scorch Here - Its Variegation is Superbly Uniform and Stable!Perfect for containers. Few Japanese Maples can boast a spring foliage display as impressive as their fall color, but ‘Beni Schichihenge’ is a wonderful exception. Its new leaves uncurl from crimson stems that keep their color all the way through summer and fall. With 5 to 7 long, slender, pointed lobes, the foliage is striking in shape as well as color, but the dark green base is edged in silvery-white and splashed in pink and orange, for an unforgettable spring display. The white edging remains into summer, and then the tree transforms itself again for autumn. Its name means “red and changeful,” and ‘Beni Schichihenge’ certainly lives up to that with every season!In autumn, the foliage turns brilliant shades of orange and gold, remaining on the tree for several weeks before dropping. All Japanese Maples are spectacular in the fall, but this one offers colors so bright they seem to glow.The dwarf habit of this tree makes it ideal for smaller gardens and, north of its hardiness range, containers. It reaches just 6 to 8 feet tall and 5 to 6 feet wide in 10 years, making it a fine accent for the front garden, patio, or any high-interest garden area. Put it in a large container on wheels and move it to a temperate location for winter north of its zone 5 hardiness limit; such dazzling color should not be missed!Best of all, this Japanese Maple is highly resistant to leaf scorch, which has become a problem with many cultivars in today’s hotter summers. Give it full sun in the north, afternoon or dappled shade farther south, and its foliage will remain fresh and colorful, unstressed by the brutal summer sun. It’s hard to imagine Japanese Maples becoming any easier to care for, but ‘Beni Schichihenge’ has even achieved this! Don’t miss this delightful small accent. Zones 5-8.
Acer palmatum ‘Beni Schichihenge’
