(Dragon's Paw)
New
cultivars and larger sizes:
Many newly grafted cultivars are added to our list after they leaf out around
mid-April. Others, including small, rare, and hard to graft cultivars, are
added in September. Once a cultiver sells out, it remains so until the following
spring.
Move mouse over photo to see another picture.
Maples ordered in summer may have burned leaves, and look bad, but this is only temporary. Still, spring and especially fall are far better times to ship and plant than summer. We'll delay shipments when temperatures exceed 90 F.
This is a tree
that Japanese maple growers like, but that does not sell well. We've
long believed that the reason is the name; a Dutch name on a Japanese
maple just doesn't sound right. We have experimented, at local markets,
with using the name 'Dragon's Paw' on our signs, but informing potential
buyers of the true cultivar name. This seems to improve sales. If it
only had a better name, I think this would be a very popular tree. It
has a unique and most attractive leaf shape, and is a vigorous and hardy
tree with good color. The original mother tree is still growing at Trompenburg
botanical garden in Rotterdam. It's something over 15' | tall and 9-12'
wide. Spring color is a fairly bright red, which in summer becomes a
glossy black- or purple-red, a color which it holds well during the
heat of summer. The most distinctive character of the cultivar is the
rolled leaf lobes, which form long, narrow half-cylilnders, giving the
leaf the appearance of a (you guessed it) dragon's paw. Fall color is
crimson. Juvenile leaves may not show the rolled lobe effect for awhile.
There is also a green form, shown below. Controversy: An Acer palmatum
with the seeds facing up? Hmmm. Is this an anomaly, or is this tree
actually an infiltrator from Acer sieboldianum? What's going on here?
We'll get to the bottom of this...one of these days.
Orders
placed between mid-March and mid-June may take 3 weeks to ship. For faster
service, order in the fall, an excellent time to plant. We can ship in winter,
but read this to see if it's a good idea for
you.
'Trompenburg'
Size # 1 $15.00
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Read about maple hardiness and care.