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phillyguy92

ID Variety of Japanese Maple?

phillyguy92
10 years ago

Hello,

Trying to ID this japanese maple. Can not find a pic anywhere on internet.

Not it is at least 15 y/o. And height is 12 feet. I L O V E the huge canopy.

Thank you for looking and helping!

Comments (7)

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    10 years ago

    Impossible to say at that scale. If it remains red all summer and has medium large leaves, very likely 'Bloodgood' (or a Bloodgood clone), which is probably the most widely planted/duplicated JM in the country.

  • phillyguy92
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you for the info.

    Is that canopy typical of a bloodgood?

    I was told by local garden center the same, but that is had been topped at some point.

    The trimming of the top, if it did happen, was definitely NOT in the last 10-15 years.

    Note the multiple trunks at the bottom, is the typical of a bloodgood?

    Thank you again - And recall I am really after the size and shape of the tree pictured, not necessarily the exact variety.

    Much appreciated!

  • phillyguy92
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Can anyone help??

    Thank you so much.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    10 years ago

    Canopy is quite characteristic of 'Bloodgood' although size not necessarily so. And pretty much any Japanese maple can develop very low branching. Multiple trunks (rather than low branching) is typically an indication of a seed grown maple, in which case this would not be a Bloodgood but just a red leafed form of the species Acer palmatum (Acer palmatum var. atropurpurem). Seed grown trees are never named cultivars.

  • phillyguy92
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you for the wonderful information.

    Any idea where I can purchase what gardergal48 has identified?

    Hopefully in the 4-6' range min.

  • buckeye15
    10 years ago

    Actually Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' is easy to propagate from cuttings, and becoming more common in production in multi-stemmed forms. It is being produced much like a multi stemmed River birch, where several stems are being planted in the same pot.

    I was in a nursery the other day in Ohio where they had hundreds of 'Bloodgood's growing this way. Ask your local garden center if they have a source for one.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    10 years ago

    Actually, not quite as easy from cuttings as one would hope. From Vertrees: "Most propagators feel that many cultivars are better grafted than on their own roots from cuttings. Japanese maple cultivars, in general, have not proven to be as strong or reliable on their own roots as when grafted onto good seedling understock. Plant failures in rooted cuttings, as they get older, is attributed to their being on their own roots."

    'Bloodgood' is the most heavily propagated of any JM cultivar and there is some indication that its success in propagation from cuttings is higher than the norm. Having said that, I would not want to start with a very young cutting but one that had a couple of years (at least) on it. Survival odds are higher :-)

    Multi-trunking is not certain - some plants will develop that feature and others not. Not very many grafted or cutting grown trees are inclined to develop multiple trunks. Unfortunately, shopping online or by mail order where you cannot physically view the plants limits your choices to a large degree. Unless you find an online vendor that is willing to make very specific choices on your behalf.

    Also, absolutely nothing wrong with a seedling grown tree.....and I'd venture a far greater likelihood of locating a multi-trunked specimen from this method than from cuttings. Just remember that seedlings cannot be sold as named cultivars even though they may share nearly identical characteristics.

    Good luck!

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