Family | Sapindaceae

Soapberry Family

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GARDENING | PLANT ID

soapberry, maples, and buckeyes

Coral Bark Japanese Maple (Acer Palmatum 'Sango Kuku'), in winter

Buckeye Tree (Aesculus), leaf and flower

Order:  Sapindales

Family: Sapindaceae. Includes the former Aceraceae (maple)

References.                                        

Hardin, James W, Donald J. Leopold, and Fred M. White. Harlow & Harrar's Textbook of Dendrology. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2001. Print.

Fraser, Susan M, Sally A. Leone, Francois A. Michaux, and Pierre J. Redoute. The Trees of North America: Michaux and Redoute's American Masterpiece. , 2021. Print.

Maple Trees

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Garden Landscape Design

acer

The maple genus, Acer comes from Acrid (the Maple genus); also from a Latin word meaning sharp, in reference to the hardness of maple wood which was used for spears by Roman soldiers.  Ripe fruits are  dry, samaras. The samara is a winged achene, a type of fruit in which a flattened wing of fibrous, papery tissue develops from the ovary wall. A samara is a simple dry fruit, and is indehiscent (not opening along a seam). The shape of a samara enables the wind to carry the seed farther away from the tree than regular seeds would go, and is thus a form of anemochory. The seed is on one side, with the wing extending to the other side, making the seed autorotate as it falls.

Norway Maple

Crimsom King Maple
Acer platanoides 'Crimson King'

Misc.  Alliums including Drumstick All

Maple trees are found growing on several continents. 

Japanese Maple

They are loved as the lacey leaved Japanese maple (Acer Palmatum)  available in many dwarf varieties and beautiful red colored foliage. 

Sugar Maple
The sugar maple (Acer saccharum) grows in cold climates and provides for the famous syrup we have be pouring over our pancakes for centuries. The wood of the sugar maple is strong and often used for the neck of guitars.

Two hundred year old sugar maple found in a maple-beech forest

Order:  Sapindales

Family: Sapindaceae.  Includes the formerly Aceraceae (maple)

References.                                        

Hardin, James W, Donald J. Leopold, and Fred M. White. Harlow & Harrar's Textbook of Dendrology. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2001. Print.

Fraser, Susan M, Sally A. Leone, Francois A. Michaux, and Pierre J. Redoute. The Trees of North America: Michaux and Redoute's American Masterpiece. , 2021. Print.

Children

Gray, Susan H, and Jeff Bane. Maple Tree. , 2021. Print.

Mitchell, Melanie. From Maple Tree to Syrup. , 2017. Internet resource.

All material © 2021 by Hyden Photography

for

 Grassroots Horticulture

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Japanese Maple | Red Accents

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Adding Red in all Seasons

Creating a garden design with red accents

A few deciduous shrubs and trees can add beautiful color to your winter garden. 

When compared to the Japanese maple in size, form, leaf shape, and color, 
few other plants present so many options. The staggering diversity of Japanese maple varieties, 
has been remarkably generated primarily from just three species: 
Acer palmatum, Acer japonicum (native to Japan, Korea, and China), and Acer shirasawanum (native to Japan). 

Here are three Coral Bark Japanese maples sans leaves and leaving bare it's red bark in the winter. 

Coral Bark Japanese Maple 

Acer Palmatum 'Sango Kuku')

There are dwarfs, midsize, and large. Some varieties are vase shaped, while others form columns or gracefully cascade. Some leaves are star shaped or nearly round; some are deeply dissected and lacy. Other often overlooked features are their sculptural trunks and branching, tufts of colorful flowers, and clusters of winged seeds called samaras.

Japanese Maple Forms

Japanese maples come in many forms-some are airy and upright, while others are compact and domed. Here are the most common terms used to describe their forms.

• Vase: The branches of these trees grow up and out, for a tree that is narrow at the base, but wide at the top.
• Weeping: With pendulous branches that arch gracefully downward, weeping maples cascade in a similar fashion to a waterfall.
• Compact/dwarf: Growing to heights of just 3 to 6 feet, these types make an excellent choice for growing in a pot.

Japanese Maple Leaf Types

The leaves of Japanese maples can differ greatly between varieties, with some arranged in layers like roof shingles, some variegated along the margins or with webs of veining, and others that are curled, crinkled and clustered in tufts. Below are common terms used to describe Japanese maple leaves.

• Amoenum: Leaves are divided less than 2/3 of the way to the base.
• Palmate: Leaves are divided 2/3 to 3/4 of the way to the base.
• Matsumurae: Leaves are divided more than 3/4 of the way to the base.
• Dissectum: Leaves are deeply divided into lobes and sub-lobes; described as lacy, dainty or ferny.
• Linearilobum: Leaves are divided all the way to the base; described as strap-, ribbon-, or bamboo-like.

There are few trees that can add such beauty.

Order:  Sapindales

Family: Sapindaceae.  formerly Aceraceae (maple)

Genus:  Acer

Family | Sapindaceae (formerly Aceraceae)