Buchholz Plant Introductions (Part 12)

I've bounced the ball with botanists before, and I think they tend to view nurserymen in a range between crafty whittle-stickers (propagators) to rustic clod-stompers (bushmongers) and I suppose I'm probably a blend of the two. What I know is that I go home at the end of the day dirty and tired, while the botanist goes home clean...but also probably tired. Even if we're looking at the same tree I think the botanist sees something different than what I do. For example, if he describes the species as "good," it's not because it is useful or aesthetically pleasing, but rather it is correctly identified, at least according to the most recent standards.

Piet de Jong (Left) and Philippe de Spoelberch (Right) Arboretum Wespelaar Owner

At the International Maple Society conference held at Arboretum Wespelaar, Belgium in 2011, I was informed by the reigning botanical expert on Acer, Piet de Jong, that my introduction of Acer x 'Purple Haze' was not "good." I've explained before that the Maple Society conferences are usually a half-and-half mix of "botanists," and a second group that I refer to as "cultivarists,"* where both groups do their best to tolerate each other. During the conference the subject came up whether or not 'Purple Haze' was indeed a cross of Acer griseum with A. pseudoplatanus, and de Jong declared that it was "impossible," that by botanic criteria the two species could not combine, that surely 'Purple Haze' was just an abnormal form of A. pseudoplatanus. The "botanist" attendees nodded in affirmation, so it was concluded as such. I suppose that every botanist considers himself/herself as intelligent, independent and self-contained, nevertheless I detect a pecking-order in the maple ranks, with de Jong at the apex.

*A rare hybrid of purposes would describe the late Peter Gregory of England, for he was a bonafide botanist, but also an author of maple cultivars (Japanese Maples, Timber Press).

Acer x 'Purple Haze'

Acer x 'Purple Haze' – or as de Jong would have it: Acer pseudoplatanus 'Purple Haze' – arose as a seedling in an outdoor bed of Acer griseum raised in New York state. Interestingly the leaves are 3-lobed per the A. griseum species, but they displayed purple undersides as does A. pseudoplatanus. I suppose that it was an A. griseum seed that was the recipient of the pollen, not the other way around since it occurred in an A. griseum seed bed, and it was certainly not an intentional cross. The seedling – maybe there was only one, I don't know – was given to me by a Minnesota landscaper who was our customer for ten years previous, and he specialized in rare and unusual plants. Sadly the scraper got into financial trouble because his wife caught him chasing skirt, and his business went kaput leaving my $20,000+ invoice unpaid. He blamed the bank, not himself (they all do), but anyway I'm not inclined to contact him for more information.

Acer x 'Purple Haze'

I began propagating 'Purple Haze' in about 1998, and one early customer was a large Oregon shade tree/turf company. An employee of that company wanted to market the tree with a more commercial name, and after observing the leaves dancing in an afternoon breeze, the field row appeared to him as a purple haze. I liked the name too, and thanked him for simplifying our plant labels. Back to the nomenclature, maybe de Jong is correct and it is pure A. pseudoplatanus, and maybe its inclination to produce trifoliate leaves was because it was snuggled in with its A. griseum compatriots. But even if I was a world-famous botanist, I would still be reluctant to declare absolutes within the plant world. And by the way, notice the autumn foliage of 'Purple Haze'; I've never seen an A. pseudoplatanus color so boldly, so beautifully.

Acer x 'Purple Haze'

Brian Humphrey in The Bench Grafter's Handbook calls Acer 'Purple Haze' a "remarkable hybrid, a cross between two sections, Trifoliata (A. griseum) and Acer (A. pseudoplatanus 'Atropurpureum'). Although not in the front rank of ornamental trees, when used as an intermediate stem in the double-working technique, this hybrid has the ability to form a compatible graft union between the rootstock Acer pseudoplatanus and the scion, Acer griseum. So far, these double-worked grafts have provided very high takes and appear to be healthy and sucker free." One plant expert says "impossible," another says "remarkable."

Acer griseum x pseudoplatanus 'Sugarflake'

Acer griseum x pseudoplatanus 'Sugarflake'

The same Acer griseum seedling grower – but at a different time – discovered another cross that appeared to be A. griseum with the "sugar maple," Acer saccharum. Botanist de Jong summarily dismissed this possibility as well, stating that it was surely a variant-leaved sugar maple with no A. griseum influence at all. It is a hybrid in the same two Sections as is 'Purple Haze'; and I knew at the beginning of my career that some growers of griseum –  before seedlings were readily available – would successfully employ Acer saccharum as rootstock, but I never did it myself. I have relayed in the past that Acer rubrum also works as an A. griseum understock.

Acer griseum x pseudoplatanus 'Sugarflake'

I sold a number of the alleged hybrids, all grafted onto Acer saccharum rootstock. Customers complained that trying to market the tree using scientific nomenclature was not gardener friendly ,but since the prospects were so wonderful...please give it a boost with a catchy trade name. I chose x 'Sugarflake' and everyone was happy, and I first began selling it as such in about the year 2000. We never did sell many because most of my market comes to me for Japanese maples, not the street-tree, shade-tree types who typically purchase from large row-run companies at a lesser price. I didn't pursue greater sales, at my small company size, because I also grew nervous whether my hybrid designation was truly accurate. I hope there will soon come a day where scientific analysis can prove the tree's true identity, and I will apologize if wrong, but I'll gloat if I'm correct. My primary evidence is not trifoliate leaves as with 'Purple Haze', but rather the furrowed trunk – which de Jong has never seen – because I've not seen such bark on a young A. saccharum. Yes, I know that a mature sugar maple can display a gray, somewhat shaggy trunk, but not as a 5-year-old tree. What do you think?

Ed Rezek's Memorial in his hometown of Malverne, NY

The late Ed Rezek (1924-2005) was a noted plantsman from Malverne, New York. I met him twice, once when he visited my nursery, and the second encounter was during a Conifer Society* conference which lasted three days. I regret that I didn't get to know him better because I found him to be wonderfully interesting and plant-knowledgeable, but mainly because of his infectious enthusiasm for all things horticulture. If plants truly make a man happy, and especially if he has no commercial agenda or need to promote any botanical theories or points of view – as do many botanists – then I'm sure to be inspired by such persons. Besides, I value that their unique perspective is based upon joyful garden experiences. We have all met a few of these persons with dirt under their nails, and wouldn't the world be a better place if our main purpose for the day was to finally plant a special seedling selection into a cherished portion of the garden?

*Edward Rezek was one of the founding members of the American Conifer Society.

Acer saccharum 'Monumentale'

Acer saccharum 'Monumentale'

Acer saccharum 'Monumentale' in the Rezek Landscape

Rezek's garden contained a towering pillar, Acer saccharum 'Monumentale', one of the most columnar of all plants, and he gave me a start when it was very rare in the trade. Actually it is still very rare because I and others find it difficult to propagate, but anytime I list one for sale, even at a high price, it is instantly snapped up. Besides the difficulty in propagation, in Oregon the needle-spire, unlike at Rezek's place, tends to boink out with lateral shoots which must be pruned back to maintain its columnar integrity. In the Flora Wonder Arboretum our specimens are above ladder size to maintain, and the project requires equipment rental or a costly tree service to perform. That drawback pales when you find it brilliantly aglow in a late October evening, and where the gardener receives just a minute of breathtaking glory before all fades into the dark of night.

Acer platanoides 'Rezek'

Acer platanoides 'Rezek'

Acer platanoides 'Rezek'

Acer platanoides 'Carlton'

A curiosity occasionally occurred in Mr. Rezek's garden, where sometimes his 'weeds' included little mutant seedlings of the "Norway maple," Acer platanoides. However, the foliage was always crinkled, as if a normal Norway was suffering from some type of herbicide damage. He would give away these freaks to plant friends, and one plantsman called his 'Curly Lamp Post', an excellent name I thought because it grew as a narrow pillar. Rezek gave one to me a few years later, but since it was an individual seedling it could not be the same as 'Curly Lamp Post'. I temporarily named mine 'Rezek' when I eventually propagated it, and oops, once again I sold or gave some away. Not too many, though, because I found most scions to be hugely fat, and my one accomplished chip-budder left the company a decade ago. My 'Rezek' also grew with a slow, narrow form, and I probably could have sold hundreds if I had them. A few years later I employed a woman who had previously worked at Carlton Nursery, Oregon, a company that grew thousands of shade trees, in particular cultivars of "Norway Maple." She pulled out a similarly twisted individual which proves that the species can get weird at times, and the plantsperson can have a bit of perverse fun with the trees. What's interesting about the 'Rezek', 'Curly Lamp Post' situation is that no Acer platanoides could be found near his garden. Hmm...

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Maureen'

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Maureen'

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Maureen'

Ed Rezek was really a conifer guy, though, and he dabbled sowing seed from named conifer cultivars. He particularly had fun with the progeny (often dwarf) of the slow-growing Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis'. If they grew too fast he either threw them out, or used them as understock for other dwarf cultivars. He named one delightful miniature 'Maureen' for his wife, a lovely woman who I met once, I think on the Conifer Society outing. Rezek had no space in his small garden to observe and trial all of his findlings, and so plantsmen such as myself were the recipients of his largess, and what fun it was!

Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Rezek'

One seedling that Mr. Rezek gifted me was another child of Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Gracilis', and it's quite possible that he raised a dozen or more that were similar. I grew my prize for about 15 years before I thought that I should propagate it. By then it had developed into a more narrow, and decidedly more dwarf version of its mother tree. I planted the original in the Atlantic section of the nursery and quite a few customers have noticed and asked if it was (or rather could be) for sale. Of course it is, all of my plants are for sale or could be...but maybe you have to buy the entire nursery to get the one you covet. As with the “Norway maple,” I labeled it 'Rezek' for temporary identification, and ...well you know the rest of the story. We don't sell a lot of C.o. 'Rezek' because few know how attractive it is, but for those who have seen it, they all want a couple dozen for their garden centers; you know: 10-year-old-trees for $20 because they're only just two feet tall. As with most Chamaecyparis obtusa cultivars, we have propagated them via rooted cuttings, and also by grafting onto Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd', with the cutting grown propagules taking forever to reach salable size.

Pinus thunbergii 'Rezek'

Taxus cuspidata 'Rezek's Gold'

Taxus cuspidata 'Rezek's Gold'

Other plants from Ed Rezek include a Pinus thunbergii 'Rezek', but somehow it disappeared from the nursery after I took an early photo, so it's gone forever I guess. Another conifer of note is Taxus cuspidata 'Rezek's Gold', which we still produce, but I don't remember if I coined the name or not, which is embarrassing to have forgotten. I like the golden yew a lot, but siting it in the garden is important; in fact all of mine are greenhouse grown because it will burn in Oregon's humidless climate in summer, but if sited with too much shade the foliage will be a light green. Another Rezek conifer was Tsuga canadensis 'Rezek's Runt', but again, I don't remember if I gave it the dumb name, and it's probably fortunate that it is no longer at the nursery. I have been the recipient of many plant gifts, coming from a multitude of generous nurserymen and hobbyists, and a few of them (the plants) have proven to be wonderful additions to horticulture's palette. Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Miss Grace' detailed in Part 2 is one such example, and my small company has profited from the thousands that Buchholz Nursery has produced, in addition to even more from growers from around the world. I never could have imagined its success when I first opened the scion package and despaired to find crappy-looking, bare winter sticks. Yes, I remember that day from about 25 years ago.

Acer macrophyllum 'Mocha Rose'

Acer macrophyllum 'Mocha Rose'

In about 2002 I ordered 100 Acer macrophyllum seedlings from Drake's Crossing Nursery, Silverton Oregon. The purpose was rootstock of the “Oregon Big-Leaf maple” for the two cultivars that I produced at the time, A.m. 'Seattle Sentinel' and A.m. 'Kimballiae', and 100 seedlings was plenty because the species is not highly valued in commerce because it grows too large, and moreover it only succeeds in limited climates. I received the seedlings bareroot in February and they were potted into one-gallon containers for the following summer's grafting. As they began to leaf out in late April I discovered that one tree's terminal bud was throbbing with a deep rosy-pink color. It was so vibrant that I shouldn't say I “discovered” it, rather it discovered me. I think that even a blind person would have noticed, so I deserve no credit. “Wow – look at me,” it bragged. When it was old enough I harvested scions and began propagating, and even though it is a wonderful selection, it is still an A. macrophyllum, so sales have never been strong. I now graft about 50, once per two or three years, and my market is limited to West Coast, USA hobbyists who have plenty of garden space.

Acer macrophyllum 'Mocha Rose'

The original Acer macrophyllum 'Mocha Rose'

The original Acer macrophyllum 'Mocha Rose' is planted at the nursery at the top of the Blue Forest, near the company's truck-loading dock. More than one driver, while waiting to be loaded, have climbed down from their high cab seats and lumbered out to more closely inspect 'Mocha Rose'. One spring I happened to be near, and a gruff ruffian asked, “What the hell's that tree? – I've never seen nothin' like it.” Of course he hadn't, but I didn't offer to tour him to the other floral treasures in the nursery. Believe me, it is quite rare when truck drivers find anything of interest when waiting to be loaded, but 'Mocha Rose's' color is so unusual in May that the viewer must think he's in a dream. And I also, every spring as well.

Acer macrophyllum 'Mocha Rose'

Acer macrophyllum 'Mocha Rose'

My best friend's wife, Harriette Hatch, was visiting in May about 20 years ago, and we walked past my Acer macrophyllum seedling. It was about 12 years old at the time, and the pink-cloud effect impressed her. I explained its origin, but that it was as yet unnamed, but I wished I could think of an appropriate name. I explained that the rose color lasted for a month-or-so, then with warmer weather the leaves would evolve to a glossy light brown – not a burnt-foliage brown, but a healthy-looking color. It took Harriette only a second to offer, “How about Mocha Rose?” I knew immediately that she nailed it, and when she left I hurried to make a permanent garden label. In hindsight I reflect that mocha rose is a beautiful sound, but more accurately it should be 'Rose Mocha' since the pink color appears before the leaves transition into their latte color, but I like the poetry of Harriette's name much better. An additional treat was when, for the first time, 'Mocha Rose' produced hundreds of pale-yellow flower panicles while the rose-colored leaves were first developing, and then you can understand the impressions that stirs up the otherwise bored truck drivers. The good news is that my late friend, Reuben Hatch, planted a 'Mocha Rose' down the slope of his lake-front property, so now Harriette can stand at the edge in spring and enjoy the cheerful sight, and thank you Saint Harriette for christening the tree.

Acer macrophyllum 'Santiam Snow'

Acer macrophyllum 'Mieke'

Acer macrophyllum 'Mieke'

About ten years ago (2010?) a fellow Oregon nurseryman (Heritage Seedlings) introduced a variegated Acer macrophyllum that his employee discovered near the scenic Santiam Pass in the foothills of Oregon's Cascade Mountain range. The green/pale white markings are very sharp, and now I have an established tree at Flora Farm that fared well even after our 116 F (47 C) scorcher a few years ago. It burns less after each passing year, and I was impressed with its durability when we reached 108 F just a month ago. I blogged about the so-named 'Santiam Snow' five or six years ago, and the next day friend and blog reader Dave Kemper was driving home – on a country road he has taken thousands of times – when he spotted a variegated branch on a “Big-Leaf maple.” Inspired by the blog, he brought in a gnarly portion and we were successful with a few scions. I wonder if I had not blogged about 'Santiam Snow', would ol' Kemper have ever noticed his variegated tree? It was named 'Mieke' for the nick-name of his wife Marieke (hers a Dutch name). Variegated A. macrophyllums have been known for a long time, and De Beaulieu in An Illustrated Guide to Maples lists A.m. 'Variegatum' from 1893 in Germany, and says, “Old specimens of this cultivar progressively lose their coloring.” I haven't grown 'Mieke' long enough to know if it will also. I hope the start I returned to Dave is growing well on his “Almost Paradise” property in Washington state, but if not, I should graft a few more soon, as I only have one stock tree left.