Evergreen Gardenworks 2008 Descriptive Catalog Acer

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Acer

Acer buergerianum (Trident Maple, Kaede)S\M\-10ø\Ls\B Deciduous tree. Grows 20-30 feet tall. Roundish crown of 3 inch wide glossy 3 lobed leaves that are pale beneath. Fall color usually red, varies to orange or yellow. Low spreading growth. Stake and prune to make it branch up high. Used extensively for bonsai, where the leaves reduce nicely and twiggy growth (ramification) is easily achieved. Pictured is Trident maple's fall color. The trident maple is a traditional bonsai species. It is used for forest (group plantings) as well as for specimen plants. Trident maples in general are easier to grow and less fussy than Japanese Maples, A. palmatum. Positively mammoth trunks are possible with this species. Pictured below is an excellent large trunked Trident from the REBS Show. On the other hand, our 2 3/4 inch pot size Tridents with one or two 4 inch size could make an excellent forest of seven to nine trees almost immediately. Advise if you want trees for a forest and Brent can select a group for you.

Trident maple roots are unusually susceptible to freeze damage. Containerized plants should not be allowed to fall below 15F, 20F is safer. Newly transplanted young plants and newly rooted cuttings, should not be allowed to fall below 26F. Once the roots are lignified (woody), they become more cold hardy. Additionally, Tridents are very susceptible to spring freezes. Once the sap starts rising and the buds begin to swell, they have lost most of the cold hardiness and you must protect them from temperatures below freezing.

0300 Acer buergerianum, Trident Maple seedlings. Our 2 3/4 inch pots size are two to four years old, relatively straight and are pruned to about 12 to 16 inches tall. They are best for group plantings, but can also be grown out for specimen sizes. Four inch pot size have been pruned down to about 16 inches, are well branched and greater than 1/4 inch caliper. These can make nice #1 trees for group plantings or be grown out to larger sizes. The one gallon size have been grown out and then pruned down to about 12 to 16 inches, and have good branching. They can be immediately trained for shohin or grown out for larger bonsai. Trunk caliper is about 1/2 inch.
SEEDLINGS IN 2 3/4 INCH POT $8
FOUR INCH POTS $12

0320 Acer buergerianum'Evergreen's Rough Bark' These are cuttings from a chance seedling of A. buergerianum that has rough bark. We have been watching this plant for many years and the new growth continues to produce a very nice small scaly bark similar to that of Hawthorn except that it is tan rather than gray. New growth will not begin to show scales for about 3 years. This is a very exciting development for bonsai. The size of the scales will be proportional for a small bonsai, all other characteristics will be the same as the species. Pictured is the bark detail, the bright disc is a quarter, shown for size reference. Waiting List

0325 Acer buergerianum 'Naruta kaede' This cultivar of A. buergerianum is quite vigorous and grows faster than the species, but its main attraction is its leaves that have rolled edges. This gives the 3 lobed leaves 3 sharp points that are very unusual and distinctive. At first glance it appears the tree needs water, but upon closer inspection the unusual leaf shape is evident. Its vigor will yield large trunks very quickly. Cutting grown plants avoid the nasty looking grafts common with trident maple.
2 3/4 INCH POTS $12

0360 Acer campestre (Hedge Maple) S\PS\M\-30ø\Ls\B Deciduous tree. Fast growing when young but seldom over 30 feet. Forms especially dense, compact, rounded head. Leaves are dull green above, turn yellow in fall. Can be used for bonsai where the leaves reduce nicely and a thick tapered trunk can be quickly achieved. This is one of the hardiest, sun tolerant maples, very easy to grow. It will thrive in a wide range of conditions and climates, even semi-tropical areas. It is an excellent beginner plant that grows fast and is very forgiving. Our 2 3/4 inch size plants are relatively straight and pruned down to about 12 to 16 inches tall. Planted in one gallon cans and given optimum growing conditions, they will achieve a one inch caliper in about one year. Four inch pots size are pruned down to about 16 inches and are branched, caliper is about 3/8 inch. One gallon size plants have been grown out and pruned down to about 16 inches tall and have 5/8 inch or larger caliper trunks. They have plenty of good low branching. 2 3/4 INCH POTS $8 FOUR INCH POTS $12

0370 Acer campestre 'Compacta' (Dwarf Hedge Maple) Rare dwarf variety of above. Forms multi-stemmed shrub or small tree of very close, compact growth, 4 to 6 feet high and usually broader than high; very effective and handsome dwarf shrub. Develops good yellow fall color. Cutting grown plants especially desirable for bonsai. Incredible leaf/internode reduction possible. This is an exceptional plant for smaller bonsai, for larger bonsai use the species above. Despite its dwarf characteristics, it is a relatively fast growing plant and a one inch caliper trunk can be expected in about two to three years from our 2 3/4 inch pot size. Four inch pots size are 12 to 16 inches tall and about 3/8 inch caliper. Our one gallon size plants have been grown out and pruned down to about 16 inches and have excellent branching. Caliper is about 1/2 inch
2 3/4 INCH POTS $12 

0425 Acer ginnala (Amur Maple) S\M\-40ø\Ls\B Deciduous shrub or small tree to 20ft. Glossy dark green leaves, red seed pods, yellow flowers, spectacular scarlet fall color. Small ornamental tree. Accepts vigorous top and root pruning making it a natural for bonsai, leaves can be reduced to under 1/2 inch. Although this species probably works best for shohin, it grows relatively fast and may be used for larger bonsai if grown out for a number of years. It responds well to trunk chops. It also begins flowering and fruiting (seeds) at a relatively young age of about five years, so larger bonsai will carry red and yellow flowers, and showy red seed pods. 2 3/4 INCH POT $8 FOUR INCH POTS $12

Acer palmatum (Japanese Maple, Momiji) S\Ps\M\-0ø Deciduous small trees highly valued for landscape, bonsai and rock garden use. Quite cold hardy, but roots must be mulched to prevent soil temperature from falling below 14øF (Vertrees). Prefers loose organic well drained soil and even moisture. Foliage can burn in hot dry areas or in dry wind, protect by giving morning sun only. Red foliage forms require bright light to form intense color, give them as much light as possible without burning the leaves. Edge burning of the leaves can be mitigated by early summer feeding of nitrogen (18-6-12) to deepen the chlorophyll, and by watering thoroughly just before the heat of the day. Don't worry about water spots 'burning' holes in the leaves, it's a myth.

Japanese maples are used extensively for bonsai. There are well over 200 cultivars in the trade and many of these are suitable for bonsai, especially the dwarfs and semi dwarfs. We look for species that are especially suitable for bonsai and most of our cultivar offerings will be very rare cutting grown plants. Most cultivars for bonsai are better on their own roots than as grafts due to uneven growth rates between the understock and the scion. In dwarf cultivars this uneven growth rate results in a 'necked down' appearance after a number of years. Cutting grown plants avoid this problem. We find that most cultivars on their own roots are quite vigorous, often exceeding the growth rate of grafted plants in the early years.

Presently we offer mostly seedlings, but we do have cutting grown named cultivars in production and plan to offer some in the future. Slowly we are moving toward this goal. Hopefully we will also have some larger specimen sizes of these cultivars. Your patience is greatly appreciated.

For more information on the use of Acer palmatum for bonsai see the article on Japanese Maples. For the most comprehensive text on Acer palmatum see Japanese Maples, by JD Vertrees, Timber Press, ISBN 0-917304-09-8.

0500 Acer palmatum (Momiji, seedling Japanese Maple) The traditional green leaf seedling used extensively for bonsai. These seedlings are more resistant to wind and high heat than most of the cultivars and can be grown in full sun in containers in all but the hottest and driest areas. Afternoon shade is recommended in hot areas where leaf burn is a problem. These seedlings can perform an incredible amount of leaf and internode reduction when grown under bonsai conditions. They are best grown out in the ground or in increasingly larger containers until the desired trunk caliper is achieved. They can be trunk chopped or airlayered to achieve taper and trunk movement. Our 2 3/4 inch pot size are relatively straight and are pruned down to about 16 inches. They are excellent for group plantings or may be grown out to specimen sizes. Four inch pot size have two to three times the caliper of the smaller seedlings and have been pruned down repeatedly to about 16 inches. These make great #1 and #2 trees in a group or forest planting. A seven to nine group can be created from our 2 3/4 inch and Four inch pot size trees the winter after you purchase them. Ask Brent to pick you a group selection for forest plantings. One gallon size plants have been grown out and then pruned down to about 12 to 16 inches; caliper is about 1/2 inch or better. The have excellent low branching, and most will have a decent transition into the new apex.
2 3/4 INCH POTS $8
FOUR INCH POTS $12  

0501 Acer palmatum [small leaf, small seed] (Small Leaf or Small Seed Japanese Maple) Similar to above except the leaves and seeds of the mature tree are about half the size of other seedling Japanese Maples. Our seed is gathered from a beautiful vase shaped tree that is only about 15 ft tall after 40 years. In youth it is nearly as vigorous as other seedlings with leaves of similar size. Twigginess and leaf reduction can be achieved in bonsai situations. These plants are three to four year old whips. They are shorter, smaller, and not as straight as #0500 Japanese maple seedlings, and they have closer internodes. These trees are not as good as above for group plantings, but will make superior specimen trees. Seedlings
ONE GALLON SIZE PLANTS $30 Available Sept '08

0508 Acer palmatum 'Ao Kanzashi' This outstanding cultivar is a medium sized green leafed shrubby tree to about eight feet tall at maturity. It is a strong grower but quite delicate looking. The leaves are a lighter green than the species with a whitish margin. The leaves are incised almost to the base. It is a somewhat rare recent introduction and a great choice for bonsai with it's thick trunk and natural buttressing, but thin and delicate branching and leaves. Young plants that are growing vigorously will often revert to the normal broadleaf shape of the species. This is not a problem since this same wood will produce the mature cultivar leaf as soon as growth slows. These are cutting grown plants, not grafted, so there is no distracting graft union. The one gallon plants are about one half inch caliper and about 18 inches tall. Top photo is the trunk of a 25 year old cutting grown tree. Bottom photo is the fall color

ONE GALLON POT SIZE $60 Available Sept '08

0520 Acer palmatum atropurpureum (Red Japanese Maple) These are seedling grown trees that have good red purple leaf color. The new growth is intensely red changing to reddish bronze or greenish bronze by mid summer. Fall color is usually orange to reddish orange. Seedling trees will show slight variations of leaf color and shape but represent good value and are especially useful for bonsai where grafts are to be avoided. Red Japanese maples need a bit more shade and protection than green seedlings, but require at least 4 to 6 hours a day of direct sunlight for intense color. In most areas they will perform best with morning sun and afternoon shade. Avoid hot dry winds. New growth color pictured here. 2 3/4 INCH POTS $8 FOUR INCH $12

0810 Acer truncatum (Shantung Maple, Purple Blow Maple) S\M\-30ø\Ls\B Deciduous small tree. Grows fairly rapidly to 25 feet. Like a small Norway maple with more deeply lobed leaves to 4 inches wide. Expanding leaves are purplish red, summer leaves green, autumn leaves dark purplish red. A good lawn or patio tree. Excellent bonsai subject, leaves reduce easily, responds readily to top and root pruning. The long leaf petioles and lack of ramification make this species more suited for larger bonsai. 2 3/4 INCH POTS $8

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