Rare Maples from Junker's Nursery (9a)

	ACER palmatum 'Diana' This is a unique dwarf selection from the Netherlands. The small palmate leaves have small tufts of brown hairs in the vein axils on the underside of the leaves, which although interesting, doesn't really impact on its appearance! Nevertheless, it is a charming and compact cultivar. The green leaves are margined with coppery tones when young, turning orange red or even crimson in the autumn. It forms a dense shrub to only 1.5m in all directions.

	ACER palmatum 'Dônzuru bo' Essentially purple, though spring colour can briefly be a bright bronze-green. The purple red of summer turns bright red in autumn. The leaves are an attractive shape, with the lobes being divided almost to the base.

	ACER palmatum 'Eddisbury' This Coral Bark Maple is similar to the better known 'Sangokaku', but in my experience it is better. It is a British introduction dating back to 1970. The bright coral red bark colour is possibly even more intense and the orange autumn colours even brighter, whilst the tree itself is arguably more robust and adaptable. See it in our Winter Garden and Maple Glade.

	ACER palmatum 'Edna Bergman' From Australia, the general appearance of this cultivar is reminiscent of 'Osakasuki', but to date we have found it more vigorous as a young plant. In the autumn it stood out over all others as having the richest red autumn colour. An excellent strong and well behaved plant. 4-5m See it in our Maple Glade.

	ACER palmatum 'Elizabeth' As with most of these dwarf maples, 'Elizabeth' originated as a witches broom. For me this is one of the most resilient in the group, exhibiting complete hardiness here, as well as amazing tolerance of full exposure and excessive wet. Of dense upright habit, the small red leaves feature a shortened, more rounded central lobe. Expect approaching 2m by half that in around 10 years.

	ACER palmatum 'Emperor I' This distinctive purple palmatum selection is arguably better than the well known 'Bloodgood'. It typically holds its colour better in shade and grows m ore rapidly, being more versatile in its tolerance of growing conditions. The deep purple-red foliage colour is held well all summer, before turning dark crimson in the autumn. The large deeply lobed leaves have a thinner texture than those of 'Bloodgood', allowing the sun to shine through them and make them really glow.

	ACER palmatum 'Enkan' In the Linearilobum group with narrow, strap like leaves, this is a gorgeous Japanese selection. The rich deep purple colouring is held well all season and is for me the most intense of all the cultivars in this group, certainly of those that we grow. Well branched, rounded habit to 2m - as with others in this group, excess fertiliser can result in strong growth not showing the true graceful leaf shape.

	ACER palmatum 'Fall's Fire' As the name implies, this new selection was made for its dazzling yellow, orange and red autumn colours. It is upright in habit, developing into a tidy small tree with smaller than average leaves. Young growth is an attractive yellow-green.

	ACER palmatum 'Fascination' It is thought that this distinctive cultivar may be derived from A. japonicum 'Aconitifolium', based on its shape and habit. It is fast growing once established, with large bright coarsely serrated green leaves up to 10cm across. These open yellow orange in spring and turn orange again in autumn. The bark is also attractive, being green with notable white striations.

	ACER palmatum 'Fior d'Arancio' This large leaved Italian introduction gives an almost bicolour effect in early summer as the chocolate coloured young growth contrasts with green mature leaves. This contrast is maintained for longer in good light since the new leaves turn to green more rapidly in shade. The growth is sturdy but slow, so expect the mature plant to be of broad habit but probably not exceeding 2-3m in 10 years. Autumn colours are lovely reddish oranges.

	ACER palmatum 'Fireball' Once you've seen this spectacular plant in the autumn, you will understand its name! The small deep reddish purple leaves turn a brilliant fiery crimson in autumn. Of witch's broom origin, this dwarf maple grows to little more than a metre tall by a little less in width in 10 years. See it in our Quarry Garden.

	ACER palmatum 'Fireglow' This Italian introduction is perhaps an improvement on 'Bloodgood' with bright deep purple leaves all summer. An upright small tree, though in my experience neither as upright nor as tall as a 'Bloodgood' of the same age. Fantastic red autumn colour as you can see from the photo (left). 3-4m

	ACER palmatum 'First Ghost' I am indebted to Talon Buchholtz for sharing his "Ghost Series" with me. Part of the Reticulatum Group which I love anyway, this one opens with wonderful peachy colours before maturing to cream tipped with rose pink and highlighted with green veining. Delightful, but needing a shady spot to protect the gorgeous foliage. Hence we seldom propagate this one as it struggles on our exposed site.

	ACER palmatum 'Geisha Gone Wild' Another of Talon Buchholz's colourful selections, this occurred as a seedling of 'Geisha'. It is much more dramatically variegated than its parent, with strong but variable pink and cream sections along the leaf margins. Inevitably with such strong variegation it is slow to establish, but once it has done so, it has been impressively tolerant of our exposed site.

	ACER palmatum 'Gentaku' Another of my personal favourites, this one is distinct in so many ways. The leaves are comparatively large, though with narrow and deeply divided lobes, they give a very light and airy feel to the tree. Although the leaves are fundamentally green, it's an unusual slightly bluish green. The orange tones that flush the young growth return in abundance in the autumn, whilst even the winter bark is attractive, with a silvery bloom. Upright when young, mine appear to be broadening with maturity. See it in our Maple Glade.

	ACER palmatum 'Glowing Embers' If you have a hot garden, then this could be the maple for you! Selected and still thriving at the University of Georgia in southern USA, this cultivar is renown for its heat tolerance. It's also pleasingly fast growing, making a small tree of graceful, slightly arching habit. The leaves are classic palmatum in their shape, and turn from a restful green in summer to a kaleidoscope of colour in autumn. We generally grow these are on their own roots, which is a very exciting development.

	ACER palmatum 'Golden Pond' The name is intended to conjure images of a golden lake...since this cultivar will grow considerably wider than tall and develops bright golden yellow autumn colour. Through the summer it is mid-green, but I notice a bronze tinge to the young growth which is quite distinctive. Otherwise it is similar in leaf shape and colouring to 'Hogyoku' - though the habit is quite different.

	ACER palmatum 'Grandma Ghost' This is a splendid addition to Talon Buchholz's Ghost series. The large but deeply lobed leaves have a yellowish base colour, over which lies a green network of veins and margins, highlighted by a rich pink flush to the central "throat". This pink is most evident in spring, fading into the summer. Autumn colours are predominantly shades of gold and orange. It makes a rounded small tree.

	ACER palmatum 'Green Flag' An elegant yet robust plant from Talon Buchholz's Flora Wonder(tm) Collection. I understand that it originated as a seedling from an Acer shirasawanum parent, though there is debate as to whether the other parent is A. palmatum or A. shirasawanum. My problem therefore is that Talon classifies this, understandably, under A. shirasawanum, yet in the World Checklist of Maple Cultivar Names (which nomenclature I have declared that I am following) it is listed as a palmatum cultivar... The bright green leaves certainly reflect their shirasawanum origins in shape, though in size they are smaller, whilst the yellow-orange colours are a worthy addition to any autumn display. Very slow growing and reasonably upright when young, I wouldn't expect to see much more than 2m in height after 10 years.

	ACER palmatum 'Green Trompenburg' A vigorous plant of open habit potentially to 10m. By formative pruning, it can be encouraged to become tree-like or shrubby according to your mood. The large 7 lobed leaves are rich green, with each lobe characteristically rolled under at the edges. Striking orange-yellow autumn colours. See it in our Maple Glade.