Hi. Last year we purchased a 1.5" specimen and planted it in a bad spot, it got severely scorched (even in SE Alaska!). We have moved the Ukigumo to a shady, moist, protected area and it is releafing. When we purchased the tree it was covered in "truly" floating white, slightly pink clouds. My concern is that while we have a few cloud-like leaves emerging, there is what seems to be a reversion branch of primarily green leaves. Should I leave this one branch in hopes of helping to regenerate the tree OR remove branch and or individual leaves in hopes of redirecting energy into the cloud-like leaves? The tree was badly scorched and perhaps winter-burned so I did have to cut back many branches thus my concern for retaining as many leaves as possible. Thank you! Marzette
if you are sure the leaves are a reversion - and I say this because Ukigumo oftentimes will have leaves with no variegation which could look like a reversion - then I would remove all the leaves on that branch but keep the branch and see what re-leaves. Good luck.
Thanks for the prompt reply. Your advice has been my thinking. Please correct me but my intrepretation of a reversion are leaves/leaf that is distinctly different from majority of others but probably more indicative is the pace in which the reversion-leaves grow vs the varietal leaves. In the case of our Ukigumo, the "reverted" leaves bolted ahead, we've one fully covered branch and then multiple cloud-like leaves emerging. marzette
Reversion is the return to the parent genetics of the tree as you know. Your inter- pretation would agree with my basic working assumption, but I have 3 good size Ukigumos, 2 of which never revert and 1 (the largest by far) which can some years have almost no variegation and this year has its basic floating cloud variegation but recently has put out reddish colored leaves that look completely different. Those different leaves are NOT reversions but somewhat normal for that 1 Ukigumo and not for the other 2. Ukigumo is tricky but my variegates do seem to get more reversions than non-variegates. I have a reversion this year on my Beni fushigi which I am studying - the reverted leaves are much larger than the normal crinkly ones. I think you are on top of this matter and if you believe the leaves are reversions than pluck those off and see what the tree re-leafs. Without seeing a picture, this is the best I can guess but you seem on top of the matter. Good luck. Hope the tree recovers a full branch structure over time.
Since the tree is already on a set of emergency buds from the first scorch, I'd not pull off any more leaves and stress it further, personally. My sense is that the new flush will often not show the variegation, but that doesn't mean reversion; hopefully next year leaves along this branch will show the regular coloring. If they really are reversions, you can always take them off next spring. It's unlikely that the whole tree will revert between now and then. This said Katsura certainly has more experience with Ukigumo than I do! Good luck, indeed. Sounds like you've got the tree under control, though. -E
I would be inclined to leave the plant as it is and see how it develops next year These trees seldom 'revert' as I understand the term
Hi, I still do not know what influences the variegation in ukigumos. I have 3 grafts that are in their 2nd year that do not show any variegation. One of these is completely green and the other 2 show a few specks on some leaves. These are grafts from this tree that shows a decent amount of variegation, and were grafted from branches that had a lot variegation. http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=15146&highlight=ukigumo I also have 2 others that are 3 years old, they were almost completely white when I got them from NY last fall. But this year when they leafed out they are green with tiny specks of white. I have all of them in shade, and they only get filtered sunlight. I am not sure if they need more sun to get more variegation. xman
In my experience, Ukigumo often has non variegated leaves on vigorous branches, especially on young trees that are fertilized. If the branch is left, the second year that branch will have mostly normal leaves. The older a tree gets, the less of this is seen, in most cases. I've also seen this in Beni Schischihenge. But I don't think it is a true reversion, as it will return to variegation as the wood matures.
What about the sun exposure? Some sun(within limits) more variegation? or is it more shade more variegation? or is the answer "the right mix of both" :) xman
"In my experience, Ukigumo often has non variegated leaves on vigorous branches, especially on young trees that are fertilized." Can happen on non vigorous branches as well. Take an old form five gallon Orido nishiki offered from a retail nursery that is covered with variegated leaves, bring it home and place it in a fifteen gallon with new soil and watch what happens to amount of variegation next Spring. There are two plants being sold under the Ukigumo name but the more prevalent plant seen in Oregon is Floating Clouds. Floating Clouds differs in how the variegation appears on the leaves as the leaves seldom are covered with the variegation. We never see white undertone on Floating Clouds but we do see white undertone on Ukigumo. We see mainly white with a hint of pink overtone on Floating Clouds instead and by Summer, where we are we, will see no variegated leaves at all left on the plant until the late Summer, early Fall new growth. Ukigumo in contrast can keep producing variegated leaves on non vigorous shoots year round in many areas. The latter changes once we give the Ukigumo some added nutrition or new soil. We want to see vigorous growth from Floating Clouds to sustain the amount of variegation we will see next year but we do not want vigorous growth from Ukigumo as the leaves are more likely to return to wild type - all green with no variegation, can remain non variegated and these leaves should be plucked off from the rest of the tree when we see them. I've seen it in areas of Oregon that the fine sprinkling of dust on the Floating Clouds leaves can easily be confused for Powdery Mildew. In some areas it is thought to be that the Maples that show the allover dusting do have Powdery Mildew. An easy test is to rub our fingers over the leaves and see what residue is left on our fingers. True form Ukigumo seldom reverts by producing an abundance of vigorous growth that has leaves different in shape and different in color than the rest of the plant. Whereas a Floating Clouds can revert on us by producing vigorous new shoots that may have leaves much larger in size than the normal leaves are and may have leaves devoid of variegation or can have both leaves that are larger in size that have some variegation to them but the dusting is not the variegation in those leaves. An added note is that some people felt the dusting is a Fu but the variegation that we will see from vigorous variegated growth from Floating Clouds is not a Fu at all. The main difference is that Ukigumo is a more stable plant than Floating Clouds is or has been. I've had them both and feel that the European form of Ukigumo is the better overall plant to have than the Japanese form Floating Clouds will be for most people. Then again I like them both for different reasons but for warm to hot and dry climates Floating Clouds is the better plant for us in a landscape. For cooler areas that do not have salt issues in their soil and have some wind protection Ukigumo will be the more dependable plant with its year in and year out variegation. Another note is that the variegated vigorous growth from Floating Clouds has been grafted which can give us the short term impression our Maple is a Ukigumo when we first get it but once we have had the Maple a while we should and usually do see that the Maple later becomes more like Floating Clouds later on than Ukigumo does over time. High white undertone = Ukigumo. Dusting on a green leaf = Floating Clouds. Jim Forgot to mention that Floating Clouds is a selected form of the Ukigumo from Japan.
Mr. Shep, thank you for taking the time to compose that amazingly knowledgeable and interesting post.
