Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Golden & Orange & Red, Oh My!


Photo courtesy of freeimages.co.uk

My favorite tree is the Japanese Maple, Acer palmatum (pictured above).  I love the red, lacy leaves that are beautiful in the summer and even more brilliant in the fall.  What I didn't know is that there are more than 400 varieties of Japanese Maple trees divided into five types based on size, leaf shape, and color; and that some have golden or yellow or orange leaves!  I also didn't know that some Japanese Maples are cultivars, which means they are not propagated by seed, but by cuttings, tissue cultures, budding or grafting.

For more information, see the websites of the National Gardening Association and the National Plant Data Center.

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