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vicster_gw

osakazuki or seiryu?

vicster
18 years ago

We live in zone 9 in the SF Bay Area just south of Stanford University. We have a red dragon and two aoyagi in the front yard and want to add another maple. The spot gets full sun until the late afternoon, eg. currently, the spot gets shade around 4:00. We've been told that the Osakazuki and seiryu would do well there but can't decide which would look best, shape-wise or color-wise. Our house is a basic ranch house and there are multicolored lantana and lavender near where the maple would be planted. Osakazuki is supposed to have the best red fall color but with our mild weather, will we actually get that? Any thoughts? Also, we had originally looked at Emperor I but have kind of dismissed that as a distant third option... anyone want to tell us why that might be a mistake? Thanks in advance.

Comments (12)

  • mjh1676
    18 years ago

    I don't know that I can help you choose, but here is how I view the two trees--

    Most Seiryu grow as multi-branched shrubs. They are relatively dense and grow rapidly when young. The foliage if beautiful as is the form of the tree, but until it grows above or taller then the existing landscape and hardscape, it can get lost as its color is very neutral much of the year. I have seen some trained into single-trunk trees, but you would need to buy carefully. These are some of the most striking specimens--a low graft trained into a single trunk--do not buy one grafted on a tall standard--it needs to be grafted at a few inches.

    Osakazuki is quite nice in the fall, but you will not get the very intense reds unless you have a very early cold spell...it is too mild most years for best color. This tree is much slower growing, but it has some very nice spring interest with usually prolific flowering and a pinkish-brown hue to the leaves. The leaf shape in summer will be very nice and different enough from Aoyagi to notice. It is slower growing and in the same amount of time will be likely smaller than a Seiryu. If you go this route, I would buy a larger one as this tree can vary in its vigor and can be a slow starter. Not fussy, but worth the money for an older plant in contrast to a Seiryu that will grow more weed-like.

    Emperor I or a true Bloodgood would give you the most contrast to your existing plantings, but not much for uniqueness as they will look like all the other red palmatums.

  • koniferkid_nj
    18 years ago

    definately get a Seiryu. My two seiryu's are over 10feet by 8 feet wide so give them some room.The fall color is spectacular.My osakazuki is over 12 feet tall and 8 feet wide.The fall color varies from year to year. Last year we had an early freeze and there was no fall color.I would get the one with the most appeal throughout the growing season which is definately seiryu.Just my thoughts...

  • mjh1676
    18 years ago

    The majority of all maples will require a good cold snap in very late september or early October to color up well. You will not see good fall color on either Seiryu or Osakazuki without this temperature change. As has happened here the last couple of years, an extended summer immediately turns winter-like and we miss the fall color as the first frost ruins thing for us--if we are lucky we see a few days worth. Maybe this year will be different.

    MJH

  • vicster
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Since it sounds like we won't get the color from the osakazuki, we're probably going with the seiryu. Thanks for the input.

    koniferkid: can you tell me how long it took your seiryu to get to be 10 ft x 8 ft and what size tree you started with (height, width and gallon/box size). The trees we're looking at vary from a 10 gallon that's probably 4 feet tall for $165 to a 15 gallon that may be 5 feet tall for $235 to 25 gallons that are 6-7 feet tall for $495-$550 dollars. Just don't know if we should go for the bigger tree or if it's worth the savings to go with a smaller one.

    Anyone else out there with input is welcome to chime in as well. Thanks.

  • PoorOwner
    18 years ago

    I think you will be happy with the Seiryu.

    At the nursery during spring, more mature trees in the spring have a orange glow near the top. And green is a very light green. The feathery leaves makes the tree look like a colored smoke from a distance. Later in the summer the higher leaves will be bronzed by the sun and contrast with lower green leaves. Burning a little but compare to other cultivars it is very heat tolerant.

    As the only upright dissectum it will never look like any other Japanese maple. Supposed to be a vigorous grower so you could get a smaller tree and won't be much behind.

    I got mine is labeled 3-4' grade from home depot this year for $70. It was balled and burlapped in a 15 gallon pot, not container grown though so the rootball is actually not 15 gallon sized. it is doing fine once I transplanted it in my yard. I feel it is a very good deal. Good thing about seiryu is that it is quite common and you can find many nurseries selling it, even able to find a deal at home depot sometimes

    If you want to go to regan nursery in fremont just off dumbarton bridge, they have a section on the far end where they have some B&B trees, they also have smaller trees in containers. They also have one speciman in the main entrance you can take a look at.

  • vicster
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks. We were actually at Regan Nursery on Sunday. The seiryu they have in front of the office is absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, the bigger trees that they have are not so great. Carlmont Nursery in Belmont has a gorgeous one too but it's pretty pricey, $600.

  • PoorOwner
    18 years ago

    Here is the B&B Seiryu I bought from Home Depot a couple months ago for $70

    http://www.sfu.ca/~rhui/house/seiryu/

    It's not a big tree by any means, but the form is great, no broken branches and the graft is basicially invisible, I am happy with the price I paid

    It sounds like you might be looking for a bigger tree, maybe you could wait until winter or spring as it is a little hot now to be transplanting..?

  • koniferkid_nj
    18 years ago

    One of the Seiryu was from a 10gal[5-6ft] about 7 years ago.The other was a boxed specimen[7ft] about 4 years ago.My soil is heavily amended with peatmoss and compost.My soil was a heavy clay before being amended.I use 2-3 inches of bark chips on all the trees just make sure they don't touch the trunk.I also make sure to give ample water especially since we've been near 90 degrees for the last 45 days. No scorch on the trees. One is in full sun the other in 3/4 sun.Hope this helps.

    Koniferkid

  • mucknmire
    18 years ago

    Like PoorOwner I also bought a Seiryu at HomeDepot. This was in early spring for $99. The tree was 5-6 feet tall. Later this summer they had 4-5 feet tall Seiryu for $79 and those trees are now marked down 33% here in NJ. They also have Villa Taranto, Sango kaku and Beni Otake for the same price of $53, a bargain.

  • vicster
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    stopped by our local home depot this morning and they only had three maples and none were marked down. interesting how the different the home depots are.

  • mucknmire
    18 years ago

    Ah, too bad. The selection probably depends on what the local nursery they've contracted with can supply. We have 3 HomeDepots within 10 miles and only one regularly discounts their plants. I guess the managers make that decision tho later in the fall there are usually more bargains to be had. I would check back in a few weeks to see if the trees are discounted. You also have a much milder fall and winter and almost year round planting so they may be less inclined to get rid of their plants. Lowes also had named cultivars this year, Tamukeyama, Bloodgoods, a red dissectum etc for $89. I'll check them later this month to see if they discount these trees I would like to have a Tamukeyama. Luckily they tend to hang around because people usually don't want to pay $89 for a tree at a big box store and they're not japanese maple maniacs like us.

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