My funky Shantung Maple is still growing...

5 years ago

I grew this from a seed from 'Fire Dragon' Shantung maple last year. I often get seedlings with spaghetti-like branches (very thin ones) like this but they tend to be very finicky so they don't usually survive the following year and tend to be rather small. For some reason, this one is STILL GROWING despite being exposed to plenty of frost/light freeze nights. I did bring it in for a couple nights when hard freeze came rather early (in early November) because I wanted to see its fall color later on. Believe it or not, the new growth is red, not fall color and it's February. I still have 4-7 more weeks before my other maple trees start leafing out. Pretty bizarre. It'd even be more bizarre if it managed to stay alive and kept on growing for the rest of the year.

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Comments (4)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
weird...

how did you fert it last year??? .... about the only thing i can think that might cause lack of dormancy ....

ken
lou_spicewood_tx
Original Author
5 years ago
No difference than what I did with others. Others went dormant as usual. Just not this one. It just kept on growing and growing. Pretty short internodes so it acts a lot more like a dwarf type but still rather vigorous. Always putting out new red growth all year long. I have to admit that it's pretty neat plant to have so I'm hoping to keep it. No idea what to expect out of it.
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Embothrium
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Apparently in addition to being dwarf it lacks genetic programming for cold climate conditions.
lou_spicewood_tx
Original Author
5 years ago
I was actually told by the grower who discovered 'Fire Dragon' to keep it out of hard freeze weather. He had grown them as well with many died off eventually. He has one that's still around for years called 'The Blob'. The Blob I imagine mine would eventually look like that if it lived for another 5-7 years.