My young Ukigumo bit the dust this summer - the unrelenting heat was just too much for it. (We had 52 days of 100+ temps, beating out the record that had been standing since 1936. Yippee! NOT) So, I now need to replace this tree. I like the Ukigumo, but also really like the (more consistent?) white-ness of the Murakumo. Basically, I'm looking for a nice, mostly white-leafed tree, preferably with smaller leaves. I have a Ghost Dancer already. What would you recommend? Does need to be a tree that can deal with the heat, unfortunately. Will be protected from wind and, obviously, be in a brightly shaded location. Thanks!!!
Murakumo will burn in strong sun so if you get it you must give it some shelter or it will not look spreckled with white.
I would say that Murakumo is more sensible to sun and heat that Ukigumo. Have you considered Kagiri Nishiki?, it has a lot of white and takes the sun and heat better. Also there are white choices in other species like campestre 'Carnival' Gomero
Ukigumo and Ukigumo nishiki are quite susceptible to salt burn, much more so than Floating Clouds and Murakumo. Floating Clouds (with the suffused white on an otherwise green leaf as opposed to a cream to white variegation as part of the leaf) can handle more intense sun than the other three Maples. Murakumo does very well once adapted out in an open setting in the Pacific Northwest but in more temperate regions some afternoon shade may be required to limit sun scorch. True form Ukigumo and Ukigumo nishiki and the hime form super dwarf Okukuji nishiki do not like any hot direct afternoon sun where we are. They will burn up easier with mid day and afternoon sun than Murakumo and Floating Clouds will. Floating Clouds is the more tolerant of saline soils and is the more wind tolerant than the other four Maples. I've seen container grown Ukigumo, Ukigumo nishiki and Okukuji nishiki in select Oregon nurseries out in the open until June and then they will be placed under shade cloth for protection. Murakumo by contrast can stay out in the open until mid to late July in some locations such as Eugene, Gresham and Boring but grown in Medford and even, more to the immediate North, in Roseburg may need some afternoon wind and shade protection by the onset of July. Jim
Mr. Shep, if you could clarify something please: I thought Ukigumo was Floating Clouds (ie, the translation); are these different cultivars you're referring to? If you could elaborate, I would greatly appreciate it. :) I will definitely check out the other cultivars suggested. Thank you all very much!
Re: Ukigumo - Floating Clouds I've addressed Floating Clouds and Ukigumo before in this forum. All of the synonym names listed below the cultivar names in the Vertrees second edition Japanese Maples book exist or are now defunct. The photo on page 125 of a Kleim Maple in the second edition book is how Ukigumo used to look like in the nursery trade. In Oregon there is much more white in the leaf, rather than on top of the leaf like it used to be. All you have to do is peer into the Maple photo gallery in this forum and see what people have posted photos of their Ukigumo and compare the coloring to the photo from the book. No one, aside from a very select few, bothers to ask why isn't my plant the same as the one in the book. Actually in some nurseries what has been proposed as being the clouds is actually the effects of Powdery Mildew on the leaf in some locations. To prove to me that there was a fungus present on the leaf I used to rub my finger over the leaf and see how much white residue was on my finger - the "finger test" is what it used to be called. Ukigumo, the old plant is highly susceptible to Powdery Mildew in some locations. Much less susceptible is Ukigumo nishiki and Floating Clouds seems almost resistant to the fungus. There are three forms of plants in Oregon all being sold as Ukigumo. The more common Maple in more recent years is Ukigumo nishiki, a much taller growing plant than Ukigumo. The difference in growth sizes alone easily tells which Maple is which by way of Ukigumo being a dwarf form, usually grows to between 2-3 meters tall in 20 years and the other Maple is a semi-dwarf that can eventually grow from 3-5 meters tall - 9-15 feet and sometimes taller. Floating Clouds also is grown and sold in Oregon by a few nurseries. The old parent plant originated at Henderson Experimental Gardens as a seedling selection from Ukigumo from Japan. The basic structure of the leaves are close to being the same but Floating Clouds has a more star shaped leaf with the side lobes being a bit wider than the old Ukigumo was. Floating Clouds growth habit is more of a bun shape as compared to most Ukigumo and grows about as wide as it does tall. Actually less tall and less wide than a Ukigumo does as the nodal lengths of Floating Clouds are much shorter than Ukigumo is. The main difference is color as the Floating Clouds has what seems like a series of layers of white splotches on top of and intermixed in the leaf and less overall pink coloration in the early Spring than Ukigumo. In some areas the so-called white in Ukigumo is a cream color at first that fades to white, whereas Floating Clouds white is always white, never cream colored when first seen. Essentially the cream to white in Ukigumo is very reminiscent of a heavy dose of sand dusting, whereas the white in Floating Clouds is a splotch. If we review what Mr. Vertrees wrote about Fu in the earlier editions, we can determine that the type of Fu on Ukigumo (sand dusting) is not the same as the Fu is on Floating Clouds (splotch). Thus the reasoning for Floating Clouds being named as the variegation is closer to being a mottled white effect on an otherwise mid to dark green leaf, whereas the other is a sand dusting with pink overtones on a lighter shaded green leaf, on the old plant. Jim
Wow, thanks a bunch for the detailed explanation, I greatly appreciate it. Do you know of any nurseries that seem to consistently have/carry the Ukigumo and/or Floating Clouds? I know nothing is exact when it comes to plants, but I try to know with some certainty what I'm buying. :) From what you've said, though, it seems that for the general summer climate here in the midwest, the Floating Clouds would do best as opposed to the various Ukigumo ones as we can get very hot with intense sun and typically have a good amount of wind (though my maples always are protected as best I can from both).