Love the variegation on the leaves!! What zone is it rated for?

Brenda

Wow, that is really pretty. I can see why you're so happy, the variegated leaves are gorgeous!

Cindy

Depending on what what website you go to, the tree is rated either zone 3 or 4. Since they did say zone 3 I decided to take a chance on it. The nursery I ordered it from wouldn't guarantee it as it isn't completely hardy for my zone. They had so many customers interested in it while it sat there until I picked it up that they do want to know how it does so other customers can order one as well.

Syreeta

Wow that is really pretty Syreeta, what's the fall colour like? I love maples but I guess I've just always had the impression that the nice ones don't do well around here.

I've seen some quite mature plants here in Minneapolis and they are very striking. I have also seen a mature one that was half variegated and half green. So keep an eye out for the non-variegated shoots and prune them off.

If I again see this one available I'll definitely be giving it a try in a well protected spot in my yard.

Terry

Syreeta, do you know where they ordered it from and does anyone know if most larger nurseries will special order types of trees? I didn't know you could do that. I always thought that you had to just go with what they had in stock. Duh.

My poor, baby gingko is looking really terrible. This might be just the replacement. I LOVE it!

Shauna

Thanks for the warning to watch for solid green branches. I had read off a website that they could revert back so I'll have to make certain they don't do that. My MIL had two in her backyard that had been their for awhile and I don't think she had removed any branches before they sold the house.

The fall colour is suppose to be a clear yellow, but last year the leaves turned brown and fell off. I'll let you know what it does this fall. Hopefully they change colour as that was one of the reasons I wanted a maple tree.

I bought the tree at a small nursery in Prince George. I haven't tried special ordering a tree before but I would think larger nurseries would order things in too. I don't think a place like HD, CT or Wally World would though. I imagine they get what headquarters sends to a certain extent. The nursery that I ordered from is called Birch Creek Nursery which is run by a lady named Barb Rayment. She is great to deal with and would probably tell you where she ordered the tree from. Just mention my name and that I'm from Mackenzie with the tree name and she'll know who you were talking to. Good luck and let me know if you order one or not.

Syreeta

Here is a link that might be useful: Birch Creek Nursery

Well winter is coming up on us again. My question is do I wrap the tree again? For how many winters will I have to wrap the trunk? I would rather the tree toughed it out on it's on and was hardy but if I have to wrap it I will.

Gil, the leaves turned brown and fell off again. I don't know where my nice fall foliage is. I am disappointed about that.

Syreeta

Syreeta, did the tree put on a lot of new growth this year? Does it look healthy? I'd be tempted to just leave it be. I've got some trees and shrubs that are rated for zone 4 or 5 and as long as they make it through the first winter, they seem to be ok after that. Mind you, my Japanese maple will be getting a ring of chicken wire with leaves for insulation as usual for the winter. So I suppose it depends on how much of a risk taker you are or aren't!LOL And, I suppose it also depends on how much you paid for it too.;^)

Sorry, I don't think I was much of a help. Was I?lol

Syreeta - no red leaves? Boo! LOL. We had a massive windstorm right around the time the leaves turned here - so it was a bit of a bust too. I think all my nice fall leaves are hanging out at Marcia's place now ;0)

Hope your little maple survives - it's pretty!

Syreeta, that sure is a nice tree you have there!

Thanks, Gil - i can use all the leaves i can get! :D

Leaves turning brown prior to fall drop is a relatively good sign: not as good as turning color, but better than freezing green on the tree. Even here in minnesota, norway maples have poor fall color.

What a great looking tree Syreeta. I don't know how I missed this post last April.

Regarding wrapping the trunk or not, just my two cents, but burlap might help shade the trunk and prevent sunscald (cracking and damage to the trunk caused by the winter sun). Not sure if maples are prone to that, however. I know smooth-trunk trees like apple are. Other than that, I don't know how much winter protection wrapping the trunk offers unless you were to wrap the entire tree (which is a difficult task).

Regarding the hardiness, if it is hardy to zone 3 then zone 2B really isn't that much of a stretch for it, so that's good.

As for fall color, I have a Korean Maple (acer pseudosieboldianum) that some years has poor fall color, other years better. I think fall weather plays a part, as well as soil, light exposure, length of the fall season, etc.

My maple is in a more shady spot. Apparently Korean maple has vivid fall color, but mine only gets "okay" fall color and the leaves seem to freeze onto the tree, dry up over winter, then fall off in spring. In fact I hand-picked the leaves off last February, before spring melt so that the leaves wouldn't blow around and fall into my small pond by the deck(don't worry, I don't think the neighbors saw that, lol.)

Glen

Thanks Glen and Laurie for all your information. I have decided to leave the tree and let it do it's thing. I didn't think that little bit of burlap was doing much against the cold. It could partly be that this fall I don't feel like mulching or wrapping anything. If it can't make it with snow cover I don't want it then. We'll see how much comes back in the spring. :)

Glen don't worry about picking off the leaves from your tree. My God Mother does the same thing every year with her tissue tree. And at work I was doing that this spring with a poplar tree.

Syreeta

Syreeta
This tree is looking very nice!
... would do the same....without burlap

I'm always looking for a good bee tree, [besides linden and fruit trees] have you seen bees on the flowers?..perhaps it didn't flower yet.

Konrad

Sorry Konrad but the tree hasn't flowered yet. On the coast I don't remember bees on the maple flowers. I would try another tree.

Syreeta

Thank you Syreeta!

Glen....how about your Korean Maple?

Hi Konrad,

Sorry, but my Korean maple has yet to flower as well. It is about 5 years old but for whatever reason keeps holding out. I am not sure at what age itÂs suppose to start flowering, but I bought another Korean maple for my Mom and herÂs flowered the second year.

Glen

Thank you Glen!
I might just get one and see.
As you said, good fall color is what you mostly see on the net and this is what makes me break down!..LOL
Did you buy it at a nursery?...can you tell me where please.
Konrad

Konrad, there was talk re: Korean maple last year on the Minnesota forum and one person posted a picture of the fall color. It was amazing. I really think the problem with mine is too much shade, maybe clay soil. But, this year was pretty good for fall color (as mine gets taller it is less shaded by nearby buildings).

I bought mine because I was looking for a shrub/tree for a spot which gets 3 hours of sun. It has stayed nice and dense looking even without full sun.

Anyways, I bought mine at the local nursery (Schriemers garden centre) here in Winnipeg. I believe other nurseries carry it, perhaps ones like Hole's. One thing though, my nursery had it in the "exotic/connoseur plants" section. Not sure if every nursery has this section, but that's where the local nurserys put the borderline hardy (zone 4/5) plants that people want to try and they don't offer a warranty with. With Korean maple, it just may be that it's largely untried in cold zones.

Then again, from past discussions on the forums, some people can grow this in zone 3, others say theirs suffers winter dieback in zone 4, so hardiness may vary depending on the individual plant you pick out at the nursery.

Glen

Konrad, Hole's did carry the Korean maple a few years back, but I'm not sure if they still do now. I ordered one, but it never survived it's first winter and I haven't tried one again. Mine was completely out in the open. Maybe having it sheltered by buildings, like Glen's, is the key to success with them.

Laurie

Hi Syreeta - I would wrap the trunk, for the sun-scald reason previously mentioned. I had a lovely little (10 ft high, 2 " diam trunk) 'Crimson King' maple (Acer platanoides cv) that lost its leader and became a multi-stemmed shrub (albeit a lovely shrub) thanks to my negligence one fall. You probably should wrap it for three or four winters - until the bark is thick enough not to split.

I too have tried Korean maple - my assessment would be that it is not hardy enough except for very sheltered microclimates. (It doesn't die outright here in Zone 3 - just struggles for a couple of years, giving false hope, and then finally succumbs.)

Best fall colour in hardy maples that I have found - Acer ginnala 'Flame' (most hardy - probably Zone 2), and Acer rubrum 'Northwood' (solid Zone 3, at least). There are a lot of different cultivars and seed-strains of the ginnala (Amur) maple, which vary widely in habit (tree/shrub) as well as fall colour - some are redder than others.

Also, Quercus rubra (red oak) is hardy here, and gets very nice rich red fall colour, which comes on after the maples have finished.

Cheers.
Barb

I would love to grow a "real " maple of any kind here but am told that the chinooks will kill it. I am in the Crowsnest Pass

Thanks Glen & Laurie!
Not sure yet which maple will be on my list.

Barb
Too bad about your Korean maple.
Have you got any growing now, if so, which one is doing best for you?

Dweller
That's too bad!
I would still try some in a sheltered location, perhaps the Amur maple, Manitoba maple should be hardy too.
Konrad

Any updates from those in zone 3 attempting this variegated maple? I had talked with a fella at Greenland Nursery in Sherwood Park who said this tree is definitely borderline hardy. After several years, the tree he planted within his own well protected yard has not attained any substantial height, as the new growth is lost the coming winter.

Terrance

I have seen a couple of these around Edmonton that are starting to really broaden out and have had zero dieback in 5 years. They don't grow too fast though.

I'm gonna run around and take some pictures soon of those and the deborah norway maples around the city.

Armstrong maples and autumn blaze maples are getting planted lots in the city, as well as honeylocust and have done very well, with the exception of the ones they planted in parks and didn't water.

That's great to hear Oiltown and sure look forward to your photos! My yard is in the hills north of Spruce Grove where we generally experience temps very similar to downtown Edmonton, though often even a few degrees warmer, but not to say it doesn't at times also plummet down to - 40 C. My backyard is also very protected and makes for an ideal place for growing (or at least attempting) borderline hardy plants.

Indeed my 'Autumn Blaze' has done well and now I'm also gonna have to plant a 'Deborah' maple and a honeylocust.