Paperbark Maple from Junker's Nursery (2a)

Don't forget that most of the Acers are available in larger sizes.

We find that Acers establish better from a larger plant. They are priced by age not by size - the latter varies enormously between cultivars. The older (ie more expensive) plants will be bigger of course, within the parameters of the habit of that particular cultivar, but the most important thing is that they will be better branched and more substantial. Thus they have more energy reserve within themselves, and can "live off their fat" to a greater degree until established. If a small plant gets frosted in the spring, it doesn't always have enough energy to be able to sprout a second time. A larger plant will have that extra reserve, and is up out of the frost that much more anyway. We will be lifting these larger sizes from the open ground and supplying them root-balled. The advantage of this is that the tree will have a more natural root-system, having been growing in soil all season. It will also have adapted to the vagaries of the British weather here on our exposed site, so they will be more robust and hardier. This does mean however, that an open ground specimen may well be a little more compact than its pot and tunnel grown equivalent - which is actually a good thing.

Please contact me for details of availability, price and size.


	ACER griseum This iconic plant is fondly known as the "paperbark maple" owing to the distinctive way in which the old bark peels off. If you can position the tree so that the low winter sun shines through these curls, the effect is magical. But it doesn't stop there since this tree is a thing of beauty every month of the year with gorgeous red and orange autumn colours too. At 10 years old and 4-5m, our tree has now really got going and looks absolutely fabulous, particularly when the winter sun shines through the exfoliating bark. Indeed we have now planted a little copse of 5 together on the edge of our Woodland Quarry Garden for really serious impact! See these in our Winter and Quarry Gardens.

	ACER japonicum 'Aconitifolium' Broad headed but slow growing shrubby tree. The deeply cut, rounded fern like leaves are dark green in summer, developing wonderful scarlet and gold autumn colours.

	ACER japonicum 'Ao jutan' Best described as a slightly more refined version of A. japonicum 'Green Cascade'. By that I mean that it shares the same delightful deeply incised, graceful foliage but the growth habit is more compact, lacking the flamboyance of 'Green Cascade' in full flow.

	ACER japonicum 'Aureum' This is now correctly known as Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum'.

	ACER japonicum 'Emmit's Pumpkins' This recent American selection is a fantastic addition to the maple garden for autumn colour. The leaves are characteristic of the species, being comparatively larger and more rounded overall. Green in summer they turn an amazing shade of "pumpkin" orange in the autumn. The tree itself is pleasingly vigorous once established, before slowing to develop a rounded silhouette. Fabulous plant.

	ACER japonicum 'Green Cascade' The leaf is similar to that of A. japonicum 'Aconitifolium' but a little smaller and much more lacy, whilst the whole plant is of much more weeping habit, more akin to the popular Acer palmatum Dissectum group, though chunkier and generally more substantial (which makes it easier to grow too!) For extra height, train a strong stem up a cane before allowing side growth to weep. The deeply cut leaves are green in summer (photo left) but change through wonderful shades of golds, oranges and reds in autumn (photo right). See it planted in our Quarry Garden.

	Acer japonicum 'King's Copse' This selection originated at the Valley Gardens, Windsor and has deeply cut leaves similar to 'Ao jutan' and 'Green Cascade'. It has equally good autumn colour. The differences between the 3 cultivars is very slight, so we don't propagate all of them every year. Perhaps this one is a little more rounded in habit, and less stiffly pendulous than 'Green Cascade'.

	ACER japonicum 'Lovett' This is one of the earliest maples to come into leaf for us - such a welcome sight at the end of a hard winter! The simple, bright green leaves are smaller than those of most A. japonicum cultivars and it develops a splendid well branched habit. Autumn colours are a fabulous mix of oranges and reds.

	ACER japonicum 'O taki' A sturdy cultivar capable of tolerating full sun. The large leaves to 8cm across, are deeply divided and feathered within a circular outline. They are deep green (or almost blue-green in a shady site) in summer, before developing outstanding crimson, gold and orange autumn colours. 4m.

	ACER japonicum 'Vitifolium' One of the classic maples for autumn colour, it gives stunning displays of reds oranges and yellows. The leaves are some of the largest too, so the effect is very dramatic. It grows slowly, with quite chunky, twiggy growth, to become a small broad headed tree.