I know NOTHING of this company or whether ANY of these cultivars will survive where you are ...zone 5 a or b where??? But there is a crud load of ghosts on that site ...it is a veritable grave yard of them all whitish ..I've NEVER heard of most so I can't help ya with any info but they do gots ghosts thats for sure!!!!!..SPOOKIE ;>)

The Ghost thing is a marketing tool that has been used by Buchholz and Buchholz Nursery in Gaston Oregon to introduce a partially unrelated group of maple selections. All of the plants are are reticulated, meaning they have contrasting veining in the leaves, and all but Purple Ghost are variegated, meaning they have a white or cream coloration in the leaf. Some are seedling selections from variegated/reticulated parents and some are branch sports, but they are not all from the same parent source. For certain, at least one is from Aka/Beni shigitatsu sawa and one is from Kasgiyama. Others maybe have different parental origins.

I don't feel much like a dissertation beyond this, but the whitest of the bunch is First Ghost, supposedly a branch sport form Aka/Beni shigitatsu sawa. It is similar in leaf to this plant, but the overall coloration is much closer to the light form of Peaches and Cream which is a selection from Shigitatsu sawa.

So, the "Ghostly White" deal is just a play on the coloration that has existed in other long-time varieties like Aka/Beni shigitatsu sawa, Shigitatsu sawa, Reticulatum, Peaches and Cream. First Ghost is just a bit more white than the above list but no where near the white that one of the forms of Ukigumo can achieve in a good year. I like the Ghosts and have all that have been made available in the trade, but it would not be fair to say that there some great unique thing about them other then their names. They are all nice plants, but they are not transparent white or ghostly.

There is a huge push but this nursery and others to continue to select reticulated-variegated seedlings and branch sports for introduction. These plants are not terribly easy to grow and are very collectible intorductions. Certainly have a strong growing Shigitatsu sawa, and Aks/Beni shigitatsu sawa, and possibly Kasagiyama should be the foundation plants in a collection for these charactersitics.

It is possible that First Ghost may have a bit more vigor than Peaches and Cream with very similar coloration making it a good potential substitute. It is also possible that Purple Ghost might have a deeper color than the standard form of Kasagiyama, making it desireable. I have not seen stable coloration in my Purple Ghost, so I am hesitant to say that just yet, but it, rather than the white Ghosts, is actually the cornerstone of the series.

FYI: Sister Ghost has nice initial coloring, but the cream quickly takes on a green tone. The Ghostly effect in that one is very short-lived.

Related to Butterfly, Kocho nishiki, if grown in the right sun can be very white also, turning to cream. The Oregon form of Butterfly will also have a high degree of cream if give enough sun, but a smaller leaf, more like Butterfly.

I typed too much again!

You didn't type too much! Great education you gave me. Okay, I'll proabably pass on the Ghost's for a while I think. For years I've contemplated a Peaches and Cream, which for now I may do instead.

What can 'I' do to help my Ukigumo have a 'good' year? I've had it about 7 years, and still have the original picture that inspiried me to get it, and the pic shows just the most beautiful pale white coloration. Stupid question, just wondering if there is anything on my part to prompt a 'paler' year for this guy.

:>)

I'm going to agree with Mike - I have yet to discover any of the 'Ghost' series to be remarkably lighter in color than the parent plants. My 'Ghost Dancer' (extremely limited commerical availability) emerges in spring a very pale color but deepens as the season progresses, much like Shigitatsu sawa or Peaches and Cream.

IME, the more shade Ukigumo is grown in, the more concentrated the white variegation. A good sized tree at my former nursery grown entirely under shade cloth was truly a white cloud with green or pink coloring barely visible. I think too a great deal will depend on the quality of the cutting stock as to how pale this tree will actually be in reality.

My Alpenweiss may not be the whitest, but it is the bright spot in my shade garden. It looks as if a spot light is always shining on it. At about 5 ft., it has lovely form and is my absolute favorite maple in the garden.

I have a Butterfly in shade which is 3/4 white and stays so throughout the year. But, as gardengal pointed out, a great deal will depend on the quality of the cutting stock, since another Butterfly I have in similar situation does not display so much white.
Otherwise for a brilliant white in deep shade my favourite choice is Acer campestre 'Carnival'.

Gomero