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Japanese Maple seems to be two varieties in one!

10 years ago

Why does my Japanese Maple grow this way? It seems like it is two different varieties in one. This is the fourth year. I got it at Home Depot and I thought that it would be a deep color like the bottom part.

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

10 years ago

All named forms of Japanese maples are grafted, typically on the straight species rootstock. What you are seeing is the rootstock plant trying to take over. These shoots or suckers should be removed as soon as you see them as they can sap the strength of the more desirable grafted portion of the tree.

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Comments (8)

yepoh
Original Author
10 years ago
Gardegal48, are you saying that I should cut the red shoots or the green shoots?
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
10 years ago
The red growth is the named form and the green is the species understock. Which you decide to remove is up to you, depending on what the remainder may look like after removal.

Most folks want to save the named form and remove the rootstock plant but ideally that happens as soon as the rootstock growth is noted. If it is left too long, it can get too large to remove easily or have aready affected the growth of the named tree, so then the opposite approach may be considered.
yepoh
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks garden gal! I wish that I would have talked to you last year or the year before. The green has definitely taken over. Will the leaves eventually get red? They are red on the tips.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
10 years ago
Nope! It's an entirely different tree. You may get some reddish fall color, as that is common to a lot of Japanese maples but the leaves will never be red like the little guy being consumed. Sorry :-(
Karen Freeman
2 years ago
This has been so helpful...I've just snipped off the green shoot on my beautiful red feathery acer....I hadn't appreciated it was grafted. Many thanks :-) x
buyorsell888
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
I know where there is a Japanese maple in Portland where the rootstock took over and it is now over 25' tall and wide. It is a lovely green tree but much much larger than the weeping red laceleaf it took over. I doubt the new owners of that house even know it originally was a laceleaf. I've been driving by the corner for over 30 years and I watched it happen over time.
April Gordon
2 months ago
Bought my little tree when I moved into my first home. I read up on planting and loving my tree. Nothing said anything about it being grafted or .suckered. I thought it was saposta be like that. I'm grateful for the advice and that I stumbled upon it 🙏 bless all of you beautiful people ❤️ ♥️ 💛 I'm going to fix it right now 😅

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