 |
A congested little plant. I have seen photos of good looking adults, but the only one I know personally is as inelegant as this little twiggy stump.
It had a magnificent cerise moment in autumn. Mr Maple says: "Many nurserymen say that spotting broom mutations in ornamental trees is a skill that is learned. Once learned, one will find many brooms in all types of trees. One of the best broom-hunting nurserymen in the country was the late Dick Wolfe of Red Maple Nursery in Pennsylvania. Dick found 'Shaina' as a witches’ broom in a large Bloodgood-type Japanese maple planted in front of the Department of Public Safety Building at the Villanova University and named by Billy Schwartz. Dick was a good friend and mentor to Billy Schwartz of Green Mansion Nurseries. 'Shaina' was named after Billy’s daughter. The name 'Shaina' is Hebrew for "beautiful", which is quite fitting for such a pretty Japanese maple. 'Shaina' performs exceptionally well for us here in the south. It leafs out as a bright red, maturing to a deeper red that holds fairly well throughout the summer. Fall colors are bright crimson reds. In 15 years, 'Shaina' may reach 3-4 ft by 3-5 ft in a dense manner. Being a slower grower, 'Shaina' is great for small spaces and container." Maple Ridge Nursery say: "Acer palmatum 'Shaina' is a very compact dwarf Japanese Maple that stays relatively small and does not take up a great amount of space. Very upright when young 'Shaina' begins to widen and fill in with age. At maturity 'Shaina' will develop into a thick and dense shrub that is about 3 to 5 feet tall and about as wide. The size and shape of 'Shaina' makes it perfect for smaller areas of the garden and is an excellent substitution for a weeping Japanese maple. The leaves of 'Shaina' appear nice red in the spring, a true red and not the purple of some cultivars. Though reported to hold its color all summer long in some parts of the world, by mid summer in hotter climate leaves turn bronze or green but then new red growth appears at the branch tips. Fall color is a very attractive bright red. The density of 'Shaina' will often contribute to a multiple color effect where the outer branches that get more sunlight will be much more red than the inner branches that will have more green color." |
|
| 4th June 2006 | ||
