The following was received via email: Hello! I am hoping you can help identify a Japanese maple tree for me. A friend of mine has this Japanese maple in his backyard, but he does not know the specific name or type. While I have looked in several maple identification books, as well as on the web, I too cannot seem to identify what kind of maple tree this is. I have attached a picture of both the tree and the leaf. Can you please identify this Japanese maple, or if not, can you please direct me to someone who could help me? Thanks.
Aka-shigitatsu sawa This is an obscure variety of Acer palmatum called Aka-shigitatsu sawa or sometimes Beni-shigitatsu sawa. It is marketed locally under the name ‘Samurai’ – although I am not sure this is a reliable trade name in general, as it was probably just adopted by someone who was tired of saying the proper name. This tree is remarkable for the changes in leaf colour that take place over the seasons; The buds first burst forth with a deep purple tint that suggests it will be a red coloured leaf, but within a day or so as the leaves unfurl they become distinctly peach coloured. This stage lasts a few weeks then slowly fades until the leaf veins become green and the intermediate areas fade to almost white. Over time the white blushes to pink and the green spreads and becomes more dominant. Over the summer the leaf colour remains fairly stable with pink new growth (like most Acer palmatums there is a secondary growth spurt in the summer). The autumn colour is red to scarlet with yellow and orange thrown in for good measure. Although some books state that growth may be slow and the plant weak, in the Greater Vancouver area, the few specimens that I have seen have grown well and proven much more robust that its possible parent Acer palmatum Shigitatsu sawa Hope this helps
Thank you! Thank you for such a detailed reply! It's great to know the name of this awesome maple ... on to the next step of locating it in a nursery. Thanks again for your help!
Good Morning, I really do not think that the maple in the photograph is Aka shigatatsu sawa, which has larger, much more deeply divided leaves and withvery prominate teeth on the leaf edges. Also the twigs and stems appear too fine to fit with Aka shigatatsu sawa. My guess would be Corallinum, which also changes color throughout the year. The reticulated patterning on the photo of the leaf can be caused by a number of cultural matters, such as a late cold snap or a small problem with fertilization. There is always the possibility that this is a seedling, not a cultivar at all. Have you looked to find a graft scar? If you are unable to get positive ID from this posting, consider taking photos of all 4 seasons, and be sure to let us know the size of the leaves, the age of the tree. Good luck! nancy
Please Look Again I have been away and very busy with a number of projects, otherwise I would have posted sooner. The Acer in the first two images is still very likely to be Acer palmatum Aka-Shigitatsu-sawa. I will concede that there does appear to be some variation in the specimens of Acer palmatum Aka-Shigitatsu-sawa sold in North America, with some selections showing much more distinctive reticulation, and a slightly brighter pink colouration in the summer, with somewhat narrower lobes on the leaves. These variations can be due to a number of factors, such as climate, soil and nutritional conditions, and/or clonal exhaustion, or there is more than one form of Japanese maple being sold as Acer palmatum Aka-Shigitatsu-sawa. That would not be the first time such a thing has happened. In fact, Acer palmatum Corallinum is a name often erroneously applied to the ‘Coral Bark Maple’, which is actually properly known as Acer palmatum Sango-kaku However, I can say with great confidence that plant pictured above is not Acer palmatum Corallinum. Acer palmatum Corallinum is very distinctive in the colour of its leaves - bright coral pink in the spring with chimeric variegation that is persistent throughout the life of the leaf. Chimeric variegation can make itself evident in a number of ways, even when not immediately visible through colour variation. With chimeric variegation there are two or more genetically distinct tissue types present in the leaf, each with its own distinct growth rate, and this results in crinkling, puckering or irregularly shaped leaves, even when no colour variation is immediately evident. There is nothing to suggest any form of chimeric variegation in the leaf scan above, yet it is known to be remarkably consistent in specimens of A. palmatum Corallinum, and since I must assume that a typical leaf was selected as an example, I doubt that as a possible identification. I have included here a number of images of Acer palmatum Aka-Shigitatsu-sawa taken throughout the growing year, to illustrate the remarkable transformations this particular form goes through. I have also included an image of Acer palmatum Shigitatsu-sawa to clearly show the reticulation typical of this very select group of Japanese Maples - reticulation that is not, in this case, the result of any stress or nutritional deficiency. I do not currently have an image of Acer palmatum Corallinum , but there are a couple of good images on page 128 of J. D. Vertrees’ definitive book ’Japanese Maples’ - published by Timber Press (ISBN 0-88192-048-7) Identifying plants merely from a couple of photographs is difficult, and often impossible, but in this case, since I have grown Acer palmatum Aka-Shigitatsu-sawa for many years, and a close-up of an individual leaf was provided, I remain confident in my identification of the plant pictured above.
Acer palmatum Sango-Kaku Here is a picture of Acer palmatum Sango-Kaku, known as the 'Coral Bark Maple' and sometimes given the incorrect name Acer palmatum Corallinum. In this image both the distinctive leaf colour and brilliant bark colour are clearly evident. I will continue my search for a verified specimen of Acer palmatum Corallinum, but have yet to track one down.
This Maple is Marakumo. It is a reticulated form and may very well be a Shigitatsu sawa - Aka Shigitatsu sawa variant. I do know that the plant in the group shot is how Marakumo looked to me when I saw it in Oregon. We are comparing one like green apple to another like green apple but this plant is not Aka Shigitatsu sawa in my mind. The leaves are not divided enough and the teeth on the edging of the leaves are not the same as Aka Shigitatsu sawa but the main difference is that Marakumo's middle to the lower lobes are not invertedly cup shaped like Aka Shigitatsu sawas can be and Marakumos leaves are noticeably thicker in their texture. Also Aka Shigitatsu sawa has much more pronounced green veination in the leaves as compared to Marakumo. Marakumo has been sold as being Shigitatsu sawa before as I've seen it done in Oregon and I've seen Marakumo's marked Aka Shigitatasu sawa before also. Only one grower I know of in Oregon had this one tagged right. This Maple is a real tough one to know based on these two images of it but the leaf shape, coloring and the growth habit are right for Marakumo. If I were to see a plant of it available for sale, right or wrong, that is what I would be buying the Maple as being. Jim
I think Mr.shep is probably correct if i may add in saying marakumo, but I also initially thought it may be one of the ghost series of specimens originally from Holland. May I ask if any one knows the proceedure for getting an importation permit for plants from Europe to the United states please.? Thanks. pensylvaticum
