burrowedlurker
Seedling
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At what age do the red cultivars flower? I was considering raising some maple trees so I can look how their seedlings turn out and hopefully one day find a superior offspring.
Japanese Maple Flowering age
- Thread starter burrowedlurker
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Kitsune
Seedling
Most A. palmatum reach maturity in 10-20 years, with a few cultivars taking much less and some taking many more. I've never seen one flower younger than five or six years myself, but there may be exceptions.
Keep in mind that seedlings from maples are highly hybridized naturally, and while many will resemble one parent specifically, there is no real promise of quality... and even if you find one, that one won't necessarily produce true to seed itself, and would have to be vegetatively propagated (grafting, layers). Don't get too excited over interesting looking seedlings that have desirable traits until they have produced leaves on at least two year old wood, since the first year or two of growth is not always indicative of long term habits. If you are really interested in A. palmatums, I'd recommend getting your hands on a copy of Japanese Maples, by Vertrees and Gregory, which is *the* reference, and includes a very helpful chapter on seedlings, germination, named cultivars and vegetative propagation.
Keep in mind that seedlings from maples are highly hybridized naturally, and while many will resemble one parent specifically, there is no real promise of quality... and even if you find one, that one won't necessarily produce true to seed itself, and would have to be vegetatively propagated (grafting, layers). Don't get too excited over interesting looking seedlings that have desirable traits until they have produced leaves on at least two year old wood, since the first year or two of growth is not always indicative of long term habits. If you are really interested in A. palmatums, I'd recommend getting your hands on a copy of Japanese Maples, by Vertrees and Gregory, which is *the* reference, and includes a very helpful chapter on seedlings, germination, named cultivars and vegetative propagation.
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