Flora Wonder Blog

Friday, September 13, 2024

Sayonara

The last Flora Wonder Blog, Summer Maple Propagation, Part 5 (August 30, 2024) was the finale, so no mas blog. Sorry that it ended abruptly…but for reasons beyond my control.

The blog began in the fall of 2011, inspired by a Maple Society trip to Belgium where I was energized to tour world-renowned tree collections such as the Arboretums Kalmthout, Wespelaar and others. Later I was able to continue my journeys to England and other European countries, to Japan, and to many wonderful USA plant destinations. And of course I offered a behind-the-scenes documentary of my life with plants and the challenges and joys of operating Buchholz Nursery.

I appreciate the interest shown by many readers, while the few detractors provided some amusement at least. With Flora as our guide, we posted about 600 blogs, although I suspect most “readers” just looked at the photos and couldn’t muster the energy to wade through the verbiage. But I think my favorite comment was from a follower who said he received the blog on Friday evenings, but waited until Saturday morning when his brain was fresh to read it with his morning coffee and biscuits. That pleased me, as if I got to sit with him at his table every week, and yes, thanks, please warm up my cup. Another amazing connection was with a complete stranger, a woman from Singapore who “loves to garden.” Maybe some day I can visit, though I suppose her garden doesn’t include even a single plant that I grow. And I hope it doesn’t.

Many thanks to employee Seth Helmer who I know grew weary with the weekly production, but I always said, “No Seth, no blog.” He had to deal with this fussy boss who micro-managed every photo placement and who insisted on the exact dotting of every “t” and the crossing of every “i.” Seth came to accept that when I wanted to spell something rong, or to invent words that don’t exist, or when I dragged out my etymological investigations, well, that was just the way it was going to be. And, he actually learned to read my mind, God forbid!

OK, so what’s next? I know I’ll be asked. Well, we’ll see, but I never want to project what I hope to do, I’d rather present what I have done. Be certain, though, that Flora Wonder will continue, even if it’s in my mind only. Every plant has a story, which I love to share.

So then, as the Japanese say, “Sayonara”…

Friday, August 30, 2024

Summer Maple Propagation, Part 5

...the maple grafting saga continues, my epikos that began nearly half a century ago. The subject itself is very interesting if you are fascinated with plants; if you don't agree the fault is not nature's, rather mine for not telling the story adequately. This five-part propagation recount – yes, today's #5 will be the finale – was never intended to be scientific nor comprehensive, instead it's a snapshot that details (just) this grower's experiences and methods. Forgive me that I seem to dwell on the four dubble yuze: “whine,” “wimper” and “worry,” which I probably do in all of my blogs. Oh – the fourth – is “wonder,” ...for the sheer joy of the process inspired my life and resulted in a modestly successful career. I was pretty good at making babies since I fathered five children and raised approximately two million Japanese maples. The children all turned out to be winners, and my hope for the Acers is that most will thrive and outlive me. The kids too of course.

I still show up at Buchholz Nursery – an hour's drive away – to assist, though I know that my welcome is not indefinite, or should I say definite? In any case I'm still cutting thousands of scions per week, plus trying to pass on my experiences and theories to the new management, so at least I remain moderately useful. Also I provoke and challenge these newcomers, almost daily suggesting trials and experiments and to keep track of the results, and I frequently admonish them to “find out for yourselves.” I still want to learn too, so at this point I'm making selfish use of the company which I'm able to do on their dime.

Each of the four grafters this spring has his or her own clipboard with a handwritten graft form. I (or Jordan) fills out the number to graft when we cut the scions, then we indicate the scion location, who cut them and from where, and finish by adding any pertinent notes. This year, since some are new employees, we include in these notes a comment even if the scions look “perfect” so we can learn if perfect leads to “almost perfect” results. In the past we didn't bother with so much detail because both I, and former employee Phil T. cut everything so we already knew that we cut the best scionwood available to us, even when it wasn't perfect, so we accepted the good, the bad and the ugly for however it turned out. After the grafter completes a variety – whether its 10 scions or a couple of hundred – he enters the number actually grafted with the date. When a sheet is completed it goes to Seth to enter the totals in the computer.

Acer palmatum 'Frosted Purple'

Let's take a look at a random compilation page. The grafter “D” (David) was told there were 475 scions of Acer palmatum 'Frosted Purple' from Box Area 19. JE (Jordan Ellis) cut the scions which he described as “very good” with 1-3 nodes. JE can describe them however he wants because he is the one who cut them, and the notes will hopefully be an aid to improve his future propagation success. I studied the stock trees before he cut the scions, and afterward as well to see if there would be more possible for later. I would have described the wood as middling, with many as rather thin and not as stout as ideal. The eight trees he cut from were recently potted up, but maybe one or two should have been grounded in the gardens for the future. So while I would not describe the scions as “very good,” I nevertheless predict our graft take will be at least “pretty good.”

Two Perfect Scions (Left), Useless Water Shoot (Right)

To date we have grafted 360 of the hugely popular Acer palmatum 'Geisha Gone Wild', on July 26^th and August 9^th, and we'll continue to stagger on three or four more times, and next the scions will come from different locations. Our success has always been excellent, largely because we had an abundance of stock to cut from. 'Geisha Gone Wild' is a vigorous clone that produces long, arching 3-5' water shoots. We eschew these soft stems in favor of short, stubby inner wood that hardens at the tip with no fluffy extra new growth. Experienced grafters know what I'm talking about, and I'm sure the lay plants-person would quickly understand if we were standing next to the tree. What might remain uncertain is why one type of wood is successful and the other not. The answer would be something like, “I don't know for sure, but that's just the way it is, at least in our nursery.” And if you work for me, we had better do it my way. However, I always invite the serious employee to go ahead and conduct an experiment, keep track of the results and find out for yourself. Develop your own theories. Sadly most don't have the energy or discipline to follow through on the offer.

Acer palmatum 'Ikandi' in spring

Acer palmatum 'Ikandi' in August

There's apparently no limit on sales for MrMaple and Buchholz Nursery for the colorful introduction of Acer palmatum 'Ikandi'. The established trees in our landscape glimmer with silvery August foliage, and after we reached 107 F (42 C) in July the pinks and whites of spring transitioned nicely. The problem for production is that none of our stock's new shoots are hard enough for scion wood, and we might have to wait until the end of September, if then at all. As you can see from the list, D. grafted 50 anyway, but the scions were two and three-year-old wood which were short and hard. This was my experiment and I'll follow the results closely, as it might become our future strategy. I have had mixed results in the past with what I term “crap-wood,” usually coming from dwarf or witch's broom cultivars. I was pleased when 38 out of 50 Acer palmatum 'Beni hime' grafts took a few years ago, and they went on to fill a gallon pot in just two additional years. Sometimes you accept lower results, and pencil the lower percentage into your sales price.

Acer palmatum 'Julia'

You can see that we grafted only 35 Acer palmatum 'Julia', and that number was limited to all scions available from one remaining stock tree. I cut the wood so I know, and I even scrounged off the “very thin” sticks. I had sold down on 'Julia' because it's not one of the stronger growers of the reticulated variegates. The foliage is soft and beautiful in spring, especially when given frost protection and shade in the greenhouse, but it's comparatively ugly at this time of year. It forms more of a bush than a tree, at least at Buchholz Nursery, and consequently it's not as vigorous, useful and profitable as our stellar Acer palmatums 'Amber Ghost' and 'Celebration'. My start was given to me by the late plantsman Bill Devine (1927-2022), a man I never met, but he was plant generous anyway. That was about 25 years ago, but for some reason I previously labeled it as 'Julia D'. At the time of the Vertrees/Gregory Japanese Maples 4^th edition (2009) it is listed in the appendix under “Cultivar Names Not Elsewhere Described” as simply 'Julia', so I changed my labels to match. I assumed 'Julia D.' was named for a family member.

Acer palmatum 'Ken bu'

Acer palmatum 'Kenbu' is also in build-up mode. Hopefully most of the 42 attempted will live and if kept here for future scionwood we can produce the three or four hundred that MrMaple and Buchholz can sell per year. It's very likable in appearance, looking something like a hybrid of bamboo and cannabis. It forms a neat, tidy upright tree that's soft and lushiously light-green in spring, but still can withstand 100 F in full sun; then in autumn the leaves become dramatically red. Vertrees/Gregory also list it under Not Elsewhere Described, but spell as 'Ken bu', two words.

Acer palmatum 'Ken bu'

Yesterday, I was on the phone with my Japanese wife about family matters. She was in a hurry and raced through her agenda because she was running late on something more important than me; I'm used to it and it happens often. But I risked one last question that I hoped she could quickly answer: 'What is the meaning of “kenbu?”' She groaned and reminded me that I asked the same question a year ago, and I realized that she was right, that I did seek the meaning a year ago, but at the time she concluded that its translation was unknown to her. She – and anyone else – can grow weary of my etymological pursuits, and wonders why I'm so obsessed with name origins. I suggest that I could have a worse hobby, like collecting sports cars, guns or mistresses etc. Haruko hurried off a possible meaning, that maybe “ken” could mean “sword” and “bu” could refer to movement like “dancing.” I quickly thanked her and hung up, truly wanting her to be correct, as I loved the revelation that 'Ken bu' could mean “dancing swords.” I think my photos (above) illustrate a strong possibility that she is correct.

Acer palmatum 'Kin pai'

The final cultivar that I'll discuss is the new Acer palmatum 'Kin pai', and since the scionwood came from MrMaple in a deleafed fashion I didn't really know what we were getting. No information was available in Vertrees/Gregory, nor in Masayoshi Yano's tome Book for Maples, so I could only gather from the description posted on the internet by MrMaple: “'Kin pai' is a newer selection from Yutaka Tanaka at Tsukasa Maple in Japan. 'Kin pai' was found as a variegated sport on the ever popular 'Osakazuki'. According to Yutaka Tanaka, 'Kin pai' when written in Japanese characters, literally means, “variegated from 'O sakazuki'.” I didn't run that translation past Haruko as I sensed that her version would possibly differ, and I didn't want to continue yapping about a cultivar that I have never seen in active growth. But that's the great fun about the Buchholz/MrMaple merger, that this old geezer gets to rejuvinate his tired life with fresh, new maple acquaintances.

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Prologue to an Epilogue

At the onset of this summer, 2024 grafting season I thought that I would direct the propagation effort in the manner and with the procedures that guided me in the past. Then the new owners and employees would – and should – alter the methods to best fit their needs. But first, absorb and analyze, then incorporate new ideas incrementally to see if what has worked in the past can be tweaked to improvement. Throughout the transition my goal was to be the best ex-owner Ever, to relax my grip of micromanagement and allow the company to flourish or flounder without my involvement. I conclude that a company succeeds by making money – duh – but the other side of the equation is to not spend unnecessarily, wastefully. I find that the latter requires more diligence and is understandably less welcome.

While MrMaple zooms into the future with Buchholz Nursery we'll see how it all turns out. No one likes my “we'll see” summations, as it implies that I'm not confident about the outcome. But that's just with individual projects, not the overall success of the company. Let's be blunt: “confidence” is not a black or white condition, it's a continuum that varies as much as one's mood is based on weather or moon-cycles I suppose. And I've never been 100% confident about my relationships with plants anyway; Flora has seen to that. Also, “overall success” of the company is a subjective measurement as well. I worked feverishly for over four decades to create and maintain a “B” level nursery. A higher grade was possible and within reach; I could see it but could never get over the hump.

The real epilogue to Summer Maple Propagation, 2024, will have to wait until next spring. The results will be apparent about mid April, 2025. Then, we'll know what worked, and what didn't.

Until April then...

Friday, August 23, 2024

Summer Maple Propagation, Part 4

Our summer grafting program labors on, with weather fluctuating between sunny and pleasant to downright repressively hot. We proceed no matter what, no time-out for comfort. One can be considered a serious scion-cutter if you personally have harvested a couple hundred thousand in your career, but only if the vast majority then proved successful. You can't wander along about it either, you must constantly hurry to make sure you're not the supply-chain issue, as there are many thousands yet to graft. Chop Chop!

Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum'

The 20s in August is a good time to wrap up loose ends. As I detailed previously, before the onset of graft production I scout the entire nursery, greenhouse by greenhouse, row by row, and note which plant cultivars have produced quality scionwood, and in what container size. The field and garden locations are listed in named sections, for example: Blue Forest NE or Display Garden 18. For the cultivar Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' we have grafted a couple hundred from two identified sections, with Jordan and I coordinating so we don't duplicate the effort. And now, a month later, it is time to polish them off by finishing the last two locations and that will be that; no more 'Aureum' grafts unless scions are received from elsewhere. Then we go on to complete another variety, once and for all whether it be a solo tree or a quarter greenhouse full. Check off, check off, Anton Chekhov all through August. The “wishful schedule” suggests that we should be comfortably over half-way with production by August 23^rd, but the compilation reveals that we are still at less than half. Furthermore, the scion harvest has already completed the low-hanging fruit, and now we are up in ladders or bending down to one-gallon containers to harvest all that are possible. The push comes from Corporate Headquarters to fill the place up again. But perhaps they over-indulged in rootstocks.

Acer shirasawanum 'Bronze Age'

When I decided to finish nursery ownership I sold down a lot of inventory, especially those trees that supplied lots of scionwood from Flora Farm. Now, MrMaple would like us to propagate x number of Acer shirasawanum 'Bronze Age' per year, at least in the near future. However, our stock has been reduced to only one-gallon containers in two locations, and we'll only find about one-tenth of what they would like. It's tough to build supply back up, especially since they can easily sell all of our one gallons for good profit. It's a special challenge to Joel in the management and sales department to keep the North Carolinian brothers from draining our coffers. During my entire career of Buchholz Nursery ownership I witness the sales department clashing with the propagation department, and neither side was particularly happy about the compromise. I spent most of my career in agitation since I headed both departments.

Acer shirasawanum 'Bronze Age'

It's difficult to explain the A.s. 'Bronze Age' appeal except to simply explain that Japanese maple aficionados find it delightful. My wife Haruko instantly latched on to it from the beginning, and one time at the Bartlett Arboretum in Charlotte, North Carolina, she spotted a solo specimen in a group of one hundred other containerized cultivars waiting for autumn planting. While Buchholz Nursery was the introducer of 'Bronze Age', I readily concede that I'm not certain of its parentage, but probably Acer palmatum is involved. It was germinated in about 2002, then named, propagated and sold about a decade later. The leaf shape reminds me of Acer palmatum 'Trompenburg' with a down-turned leaf lobe, but the 'Bronze Age' color is more brownish-red. The original seedling is no longer at the nursery, and sadly I don't have a record of who we sold it to. I didn't keep track of the original – and many others – because I didn't anticipate the day that I would reminisce about our introductions. I do have record of all the 'Bronze Age' sales, but nothing tells me which was the original tree. In any case, my hybrids – or supposed hybrids – are my favorite among almost all the other maples cultivars, and it will be fun to observe what might germinate from their seeds which are ripening even now.

Acer shirasawanum 'Mikado'

I relate to maple cultivars, especially Buchholz Nursery introductions, as family members. My oldest two daughters (from the same mother) are similar but different. And my youngest two (from wife Haruko) are likewise. Maybe with the latter two I would liken H. to 'Bronze Age', while my youngest S. would be the different, but enchanting Acer shirasawanum 'Mikado'. Not surprising with a gruff German-American father and an elegant Japanese mother. Both maples are winning tickets, as are the daughters, and it's a pleasure to witness offspring that surpass the parents.

Acer palmatum 'Hubbs Red Willow'

Speaking of similarities, Acer palmatum 'Hubbs Red Willow' and 'Pung Kil' are both purple-red linearlobum, “strap-leaf” selections. I described earlier in this summer-maple propagation series about the vigor and commercial appeal of 'Hubbs Red Willow', but that the literature still condemns it with the wrong name of 'Hupp's' or 'Hubb's', and even our overseers MrMaple still insist on the incorrect 'Hubb's'. The Buchholz Nursery assertion that it should be rendered 'Hubbs' (with no apostrophe) was based on blog-coproducer Seth's research. I already have plenty of detractors with many of my opinions expressed in the Flora Wonder Blog, so I certainly aim to be solid in my evidence to not attract further condemnation. When I again quizzed Seth – which I should never do again, that's for sure – he stridently accepted the challenge and made his own case without word by slapping a paper copy of the Riverton, New Jersey 1970s community newspaper's obituary confirming Mrs. Mildred Hubbs...'s demise, with mention of husband Elwood Hubbs's previous passing.* Seth is not to be trifled with.

*See obituary at blog's end.

Acer palmatum 'Pung Kil'

The similar – to 'Hubbs' – cultivar, Acer palmatum 'Pung Kil' also has a problematic name. It appears in the Vertrees/Gregory Japanese Maples (Timber Press 2009) as one of the potentials of “cultivars not yet assessed.” There it is identified as 'Pung kil' with a lower-case “k,” with the explanation that the synonym “kill” is a misspelling. As I understand the story the discoverer or introducer was Mr. Pung Kil who is-or-was associated with Korea's Chollipo Arboretum. If that's the case I guess the “Kil” should be capitalized too. I actually prefer 'Pung Kil' over the 'Hubbs Red Willow' because the former features long, very narrow lobes but also they blend in with many wilder-lobed leaves; the mixture of leaf sizes gives the tree a more dynamic rhythm compared to the relatively boring 'Hubbs Red Willow'. 'Pung Kil' is also vigorous with a full, neat canopy, and if you could plant only one Japanese maple in your garden it wouldn't be a bad choice. Jordan cut the 'Pung Kil' scions this year because 1) we have a good supply and 2) I didn't want to hog all of the fun varieties. “Fun” means you have a lot to choose from and the scions occur between 3' and 8' tall on the trees, so you don't exhaust yourself dragging a ladder around or by bending low to the ground. It's rewarding to be able to cut 500 beautiful 'Pung Kil' sticks in just a little over an hour, and I even suspect that the grafters receive an extra nudge to their work speed when the refrigerator is filled with plenty to do. I can't think of a worse maple cultivar name, however, but no offense to Mr. Kil and his wonderful selection.

Acer palmatum 'Strawberry Spring'

Nursery veteran Seth is tasked with compiling the graft counts – all of the hundreds of varieties coming from various places with perhaps a different grafter each time. We intentionally spread the risk, sometimes we'll go to a specific cultivar five times during the propagating season, then maybe more on our hot callus bed later in winter. Notes are kept on the condition of the scionwood from each location because the new administration is undergoing a crash-course on summer maple propagation. Seth expressed surprise at the number of Acer palmatum 'Strawberry Spring' that we have finished from three different dates so far this summer. He then grew skeptical at the total, wondering if we really did that many or perchance did someone report the same bag twice? We need accuracy on inventory, many decisions depend on it, and besides MrMaple is connected to our computers so they can keep a weekly tab on our output.

Acer palmatum seedlings

Acer palmatum 'Strawberry Spring' originated as a seedling from the mother tree of A.p. 'Amber Ghost', itself the strongest grower with the best canopy-shape of all from the original “Ghost Series.” About 100 of its offspring were planted out at Flora Farm in full sun in the “real world” world, and every spring I would admire a certain one's happy foliage, even though this original seedling grew as a runt compared to most of the others. As a grafted plant, however, the propagules grow as vigorously and with as good a shape as its 'Amber Ghost' parent. I've mentioned a number of times that an original seedling's growth characteristics are of no importance when describing a grafted crop, and now I have a number of specimens that are twice as large as the original. 'Strawberry Spring' makes a wonderfully colorful one-gallon container, bushy and full, or at least the way we grow them.

Acer truncatum 'Baby Dragon'

Acer truncatum 'Super Dragon'

We have also begun our “Norway maple,” Acer platanoides, propagation with both Norway cultivars and Acer truncatum cultivars. I despair when I see the hefty rootstocks which are twice the caliper of our typical Acer palmatums. The grafters insist that they are more comfortable using razor-blade knives than a regular Tina grafting knife, but for the record I've grafted more than all three of them put together, with sufficient success, using only a Tina. Anyway it's a challenge to slice through the carrot-sized trunks with a wobbly blade, but at least the scionwood is reasonably sized with many of the A. truncatum cultivars being sent from MrMaple's North Carolina stock.

Acer platanoides 'Maltese Cross'

Maltese Cross

One fun cultivar of Norway maple is 'Maltese Cross', so named for its curiously-shaped leaf. It's a vigorous selection with a broad, dense canopy, deep green in spring and summer, turning to yellow-orange in autumn. Unfortunately it is only suitable for a park or large landscape, and the tree-photo above is our happy specimen with ample room at Flora Farm.

Acer platanoides 'Rezek' original seedling

Acer platanoides 'Rezek'

Another cultivar we'll attempt on platanoides is Acer platanoides 'Rezek', the original tree which is at the nursery. The late Mr. Rezek was a noted plantsman from New York who mainly dabbled with conifers, but he routinely discovered dwarf, twisted, mutant seedlings which appeared spontaneously in his garden which he would give away to plant friends. The curious thing, though, is that Rezek couldn't point to the seed source, as there certainly wasn't a mother tree on his property or in the immediate vicinity. One grower friend named his little runt 'Curly Lamp Post', which I thought was an apt and very cute name, and a few specialty growers attempted to propagate from it. Apparently no one was commercially successful so it didn't become common in the trade. I named my seedling 'Rezek' – a temporary code name – when we attempted our first grafts. I couldn't call it 'Curly Lamp Post', even though it closely resembled it, because technically individual seedlings are not clonal. I could sell hundreds of 'Rezek' per year but our grafting success is poor, usually 5%-10% each year. It is fantastic when you get one going in a small or rock garden...slow growing and narrow, a golden pillar in the autumn landscape. One gripe about the bizarre 'Rezek' is the graft union with Norway rootstock, as you're forever pruning away the suckers. The bole grows larger by the year and the relatively small graft above can in no way keep up. I'll be curious if our propagants can achieve middle age – say, between 30 and 50 years old – or will the rootstock swallow up and choke out the scion? I won't be here so someone else will have to report the results.

We'll be relieved to slog through the Norway rootstocks – there's a couple thousand of them – but our grafting speed is reduced compared to the palmatums. When they're done we'll begin with Acer buergerianum and its cultivars, and there too our rootstock is larger than we would prefer. Frankly, grafting is the easy step in the propagation process; acquiring and managing the rootstock for all the different species is the greater challenge. If every potted rootstock reached just 3/16-4/16 in caliper, that would be perfect. But I've never had a year where everything turned out perfect.

What?! – there's rumors that the grafters will be taking the day off on Monday, the Labor Day holiday...Hmm. No time off for me. Even at night I dream about maple propagation.

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*Bucks County Courier Times

Mildred R. (Rapp) Hubbs passed away peacefully on Aug. 26, 2012 at Riverview Estates where she was a resident. She was 94.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Elwood Hubbs, and sister, Marion Cavin.

She was born and raised in Palmyra and was a graduate of Palmyra High School, Class of 1936.

Upon her marriage to Elwood, they owned and operated Hubbs Nursery in Cinnaminson.

She was a longtime member of Riverton Country Club and enjoyed traveling, golf, bowling and playing bridge.

She leaves many wonderful nieces and nephews.

Burial will be in Asbury Methodist Church in Cinnaminson. Funeral arrangements will be private.

Friday, August 16, 2024

Summer Maple Propagation, Part 3

Acer palmatum 'Celebration'

Acer palmatum 'Strawberry Spring'

Acer palmatum 'Geisha Gone Wild'

Our summer grafting agenda has reached the panic stage, which it has done annually for most of my 50 commercial nursery years. The owner or management begins to tabulate the total number of grafts completed, then projects ahead to what's left to do. Then math calculates the work days left – which are not seven days per week – until the completion date desired. The dreaded facts then reveal that, at x amount the crew averages per day, we'll only accomplish two-thirds of the task. That creates anxiety where I used to wake up at four in the morning, and the only relief was to hurry out at daybreak and cut as many scions as possible before the grafters arrived. Somehow that would settle me. Then you adjust your priorities and perhaps train a new grafter, but of course that delays the completion of other vital nursery projects. You could pay the crew an incentive to begin an hour earlier (which we always do), or to work full days on Saturday…or most likely, you "extend" your original completion date. The problem with the latter is that the success rate traditionally diminishes the longer we went. Reality forces us to compromise.

Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum'

Acer shirasawanum 'Moonrise'

Acer shirasawanum 'Plum Wine'

At any rate we need to get more numbers behind us, and the scion list, which I compile after scouting all the possible locations, includes many of the easy-and-quick to cut cultivars that we have in abundance. They are also the varieties where we usually achieve a high success rate, so at least we'll have some money-making inventory in stock for the future. Popular choices, where we have never had too many, include Acer palmatums 'Celebration', 'Strawberry Spring', 'Geisha Gone Wild', and Acer shirasawanums 'Moonrise', 'Aureum' and 'Plum Wine'. Note that four of the above six mentioned cultivars are Buchholz introductions, as MrMaple's clientele for some reason prefer our more unusual selections over the common tried-and-true red uprights and laceleafs that are found at the typical, rather boring garden centers.

Acer shirasawanum 'Yellow Canary'

While the grafters are occupied with the larger numbers, the scion cutter uses that opportunity to forage for the newer and sometimes solo trees where every possible stick is cut. Acer shirasawanum 'Yellow Canary' is an example, where the scions were firm and ready and I decided to harvest all possible, even the thin and short and fat single-nodes. One visit – all or nothing. It's like a hummingbird, with its highly-evolved brain that is more fantastic than human's I think. The high-strung little darters can remember every flower that they visit for a 6-8 hour period, because once drained of nectar it takes a half day to refill and they can't expend any unnecessary energy hovering, searching in vain. I would not be coming back to the scion-well of 'Yellow Canary' either.

Acer palmatum 'Summer Gold'

We take a different approach for a cultivar like Acer palmatum 'Summer Gold', where our stock plants are all over the nursery in sizes ranging from one-gallon pots to large 15' trees. In July, towards the end of the month, we might cut just 200 and we'll save more for August, then more in September. One constant worry is if the wood on 'Summer Gold' is sufficiently hard, so we don't risk cutting all of them early. Following the results requires attention, so for example if the percent “take” in July is only 70%, but 95% in September, and if that pattern repeats itself for a couple of years (as the seasons are all different) you might be able to draw a useful conclusion. Of course, there are other variables too, like who harvested the scions and who grafted them. Sometimes scions vary depending on where they came from, where a tree in the ground hardens quicker than those in a greenhouse container. Yes, the nursery owner carries a myriad of worries throughout the season, but after a long career where I have cut every scion for the majority of those years, I developed a gut feeling about what to cut and when. But trying to explain your “gut” to a new scion cutter is not so easy.

Acer palmatum 'Chika'

We're receiving a fair amount of scionwood harvested by MrMaple now. The leaves have been removed so we're not positive how the shoot looked like when it was still on the tree. Some of their sticks make just one scion, but others might produce three or four. The scion cutters back in North Carolina don't have any experience with summer grafting, or what an ideal scion even looks like. Hopefully we'll be pleasantly surprised with the outcome, and then everyone at Buchholz Nursery will be relieved when I'm less fussy. Our most experienced grafter (David) is the only employee handling the MrMaple scions, and that simplicity removes yet another possible variable when evaluating the outcome.

Acer shirasawanum 'Magic Moon'

Acer palmatum 'Purple Curl'

I was intrigued to receive two small plants of Acer shirasawanum 'Magic Moon' last autumn from the MrMaple owners, but I confess that I had never heard of it before. There are already a few “moon” cultivars in the trade, such as 'Autumn Moon' and 'Moonrise', so I wondered what would be so “magical” about the new MrMaple introduction. In any case, I cut 43 less than ideal scions from the two plants, and then – surprisingly – another 100 arrived via one-day transport a week later from MrMaple. The only information available, since it's still a very new introduction, was provided by the MrM bosses who introduced it a short time ago. They posted a YouTube video that displays a subtle variegation with the green mid-leaf a normal green but edged with pale yellow. Furthermore the lobes curl downward, claw-like, that is reminiscent of the Buchholz introduction of Acer palmatum 'Purple Curl'. It makes me wonder if 'Purple Curl' contains some A. shirasawanum blood as well. Such green/pale yellow coloration can sometimes appear on Acer shirasawanum 'Mr. Sun', at least when grown in containers, especially after temperatures reach the century mark. I don't particularly care for the two-toned look as I find it rather chloratic. Anyway I'd like to ground a 'Magic Moon' this autumn, but I'll be sure to place it with some afternoon shade. The original seedling was raised by Johnathon Savelich, the same grower who discovered and introduced the very popular Acer palmatum 'Lileeanne's Jewel'. You can check out the MrMaple 'Magic Moon' video HERE, but finish this more-important blog first.

Acer fabri

Acer wuyuanense

MrMaple's scion box contained a new species for me, Acer wuyuanense – which comes from China's Wuyuan County in Jiangxi Province. It is commonly referred to as the “Chocolate maple” due to its reddish-brown spring growth. I'd like to compare it side by side with a similar species, Acer fabri, which I used to grow twenty years ago. The A. fabri was in a container in our tallest greenhouse, but I decided to part with it when it kept pushing into the poly top. We used to root A. fabri but sales were weak because it was presumed to be non-hardy for most of our customers. Researching the Wuyuan species, I was shocked to find that it is growing outside at the Dawes Arboretum in Ohio, who would have thought? I don't know if the Dawes specimen is of seedling origin or if it is growing on borrowed rootstock, but they list it as hardy to USDA zone 6 (-10 F). A. wuyuanense, fortunately, can be propagated by grafting onto Acer palmatum, although that seems a curious combination, but then we have also used A. palmatum as rootstock for grafting Acer laevigatum 'Hong Long' which I discussed in last week's blog. The problem with these Chinese species is that they grow with reckless abandon in our greenhouses, and can easily produce 3-5' shoots. The A. wuyuanense species may be hardy to USDA zone 6, but the pushed, too-lush branches would have a difficult time in a typical Oregon winter. I recommend hardening it the year before planting by keeping it in a smaller pot with reduced watering the summer before. A. wuyuanense is not listed in the DeBeaulieu An Illustrated Guide to Maples, so perhaps he considers it a variety or subspecies of something else. It is also growing at the US National Arboretum in Washington D.C. and at the David C. Lam Asian Garden in Vancouver, B.C., with the synonym of Acer pubinerve. Canadian botanist Douglas Justice praises the species, by whatever name, and describes the emerging foliage, memorably, as being like “oily, dark-brown chicken feet.”

Acer erianthum

Another Chinese species, Acer erianthum, also made it back to the collection thanks to MrMaple. I grew it 20 years previous but tossed it from the ark after my one garden specimen developed “split-bark” from the sudden transformation from a week of warm March weather...to a bone-chilling mid-teen blast. Damn you nature! Why do you spoil my fun? It was planted near the species tree of Acer oliverianum which succumbed to the same freeze that I documented in last week's blog. I considered myself one-and-done with the two Chinese species, but I'm actually pleased to try them again, especially since MrMaple now pays the bills. The parent company publicizes that they want to collect all species within the Palmata Section, and it's possible that they may have already accomplished their goal. As with Acers laevigatum*, fabri*, wuyuanense* and oliverianum*, A. erianthum* can also be propagated onto Acer palmatum rootstock. The erianthum species was discovered by EH Wilson in 1901 on the same China expedition that yielded Acer griseum*, Acer fabri and Davidia involucrata, and much more.

*The specific epithets of these Chinese species are as follows:

• A. laevigatum, from Latin laevigatus for “smooth” or “polished,” referring to the leaves.

• A. fabri, honors the Rev. Father Ernest Faber who discovered the species in 1887, before Wilson “introduced” it.

• A. wuyuanense, after Wuyuan county in China.

• A. oliverianum, after English botanist Daniel Oliver.

• A. erianthum, from Latin erianthus for having wool-covered flowers.

• A .griseum, for Latin griseus referring to the grey-colored down on new leaves.

Acer palmatum 'Martha's Ghost'

Acer palmatum 'Fairy Hair'

All of the above species are relatively obscure – with the exception of Acer griseum, but again Buchholz Nursery now has new owners and I'm pleased to reacquaint myself with some of my “lost” trees as well as entirely new species. But let's now discuss some of the new Acer palmatum cultivars that the self-proclaimed “Maple Mafia” sent to us a week ago. The acquisitions came in the form of scionwood, so from an accurate point of view they don't really “exist” here until the grafts succeed and they leaf out next spring. Nevertheless they are added to our Master Plant List (MPL), our bible of all plants here with the correct nomenclature or plant spelling, which is frequently different from what the sender lists it under. An example is that MrMaple wanted to reunite Buchholz Nursery with one of the original “Ghosts,” 'Martha's Ghost' which I abandoned twenty years ago because I thought all the other Ghosts were superior. Actually I'm happy to have it back, but it was originally christened as 'Martha's Ghost', not the 'Martha Ghost' of MrMaple. Similarly the name of our Acer palmatum 'Fairyhair' was ronged by Peter Gregory and Timber Press in their Japanese Maple publication as 'Fairy Hair' – two capitalized words – but since their new edition was already in print, I changed my name to theirs to avoid confusion. As you can see: I'm German = I'm pedantic, often excessively so, but not always.

Acer palmatum 'Red Jaguar'

Last autumn MrMaple sent a few pots of Acer palmatum 'Red Jaguar', truly a vigorous grower, but there was nothing obvious about why it was selected and given an intriguing name. This past spring, about a month after it leafed out in the greenhouse, I began to see the variegation develop. I borrowed a photo (above) from MrMaple, and some of my own that proves the point, and they describe: “'Red Jaguar' is a gorgeous Japanese maple that leafs out red. Once the red color begins to fade to green, a spiderweb-like white variegation comes across the foliage. The new growth during the summer can often be red with pink and white...'Red Jaguar' was found by our good friend, Jason Stevens.” Web-like is how I would also describe MrMaple's network of “good friends” who are always bringing to the North Carolina hub new selections to try. There are a lot of maple collectors, as well as a growing number of commercial growers, who have contracted the “Maple Fever” malady over the past few years, and are causing an explosion of new cultivars on the market. This rousing activity is fueled by the MrMaple media presence which features new, interesting content daily. While the late maple author J.D. Vertrees is probably cursing from his grave, I suppose the market will eventually decide which will continue in commerce. The other day I googled the maple “red panther” to see if I could find more information or photos about it but all I got was red feline fantasy stuff. Wait, wait a minute – it's Acer palmatum 'Red Cheetah'? No, not cheetah, it's 'Red Jaguar'. Who can keep straight all of the red cat possibilities? And, for God's sake: no more Dragons either in the pantheon, there's way too many already.

Orders from High Command are clear: develop the new cultivars as quickly as possible and leave the 'Bloodgoods' and 'Tamuke yamas' to others. The common are great selections as well, but they can be bought in as liners from others if needed. The following photos are just a few of the new maples in the pipeline from Buchholz Nursery and MrMaple.