A box of Japanese maple seedlings

[Shibui]

Last autumn I collected some seed from a coral bark maple. I know a high proportion of seedlings of Coral Bark also have the same red bark but wanted to see just what proportion I'd get.


A closer look at some trunks. You can see there's a range of colors in there from grey/green through orange to red. You may also pick up some other differences. Some trunks have long internodes while others are relatively close together.


Some of the seedlings have grown nearly a metre over summer but others are smaller. There's even a couple that have not got past 6 inches tall.


Even without considering leaf size, shape and color I've got a wide range of VISIBLE traits here. When you add the UNSEEN traits like cold hardiness, disease resistance, longevity and a whole lot more you can see why trying to pin a known variety name to any seed grown Japanese maple is fruitless.
None of these seedlings is Coral bark, despite many of them having the red bark. Every one of these seedlings has a unique combination of genes, some from the coral bark and possibly some from a nearby Acer palmatum. Even the seedlings that have coral bark as both mother and father will have new combinations of the genes. Every seedling is different in some way from the parent.
I could pot many of these up and sell them to unsuspecting buyers as Coral bark maple but that would not be right. Each and every one of these seedlings is a new and unique individual variety, just as we are unique and different from our own mothers and fathers, even if we look similar.

I'll grow most of these seedlings on for a few years and try to develop starter bonsai. Maybe some will make good bonsai. Maybe some will have better traits for bonsai than the coral bark parent but all these will just be Acer palmatum, Japanese maples.
If any prove to be really good maybe I'll give them names and start propagating, after all, that's how all the current named varieties came to be.

 

[Rivian]

Id be interested in a tough yellow/orange
Bi-Hoo is so frail.

 

[waydeo]

I wonder if pollination from other maples plays a roll in which traits a maple seed grows . At UGA agriculture I saw where they had plants in net enclosures that they only pollinated by hand to produce true cultivars of plants. No outside pollinators (bees or birds) .

 

[Shibui]

I wonder if pollination from other maples plays a roll in which traits a maple seed grows . At UGA agriculture I saw where they had plants in net enclosures that they only pollinated by hand to produce true cultivars of plants. No outside pollinators (bees or birds) .

Cross pollination does play some role by adding extra genes into the mix and we enhance that by having several (or more) different varieties in the garden. Add the fact that all the named varieties are already crosses or unstable new genetic mixes (that's why they look different from regular JM) means there's even more possibility for differences in seedlings, even if individual trees are isolated from pollinators.
Natural populations tend to be more stable but Japanese maple seems to be a little genetically unstable than many plants so differences in seedlings seems to be more common even in seed from stable populations.
Netting plants is usually used more to conserve existing stable lines from out crossing. Most often vegetables or flowers.

 

[sorce]

That's a great picture wall!

Sorce

 

[Ming dynasty]

Last autumn I collected some seed from a coral bark maple. I know a high proportion of seedlings of Coral Bark also have the same red bark but wanted to see just what proportion I'd get.
View attachment 446961

A closer look at some trunks. You can see there's a range of colors in there from grey/green through orange to red. You may also pick up some other differences. Some trunks have long internodes while others are relatively close together.
View attachment 446962

Some of the seedlings have grown nearly a metre over summer but others are smaller. There's even a couple that have not got past 6 inches tall.
View attachment 446963

Even without considering leaf size, shape and color I've got a wide range of VISIBLE traits here. When you add the UNSEEN traits like cold hardiness, disease resistance, longevity and a whole lot more you can see why trying to pin a known variety name to any seed grown Japanese maple is fruitless.
None of these seedlings is Coral bark, despite many of them having the red bark. Every one of these seedlings has a unique combination of genes, some from the coral bark and possibly some from a nearby Acer palmatum. Even the seedlings that have coral bark as both mother and father will have new combinations of the genes. Every seedling is different in some way from the parent.
I could pot many of these up and sell them to unsuspecting buyers as Coral bark maple but that would not be right. Each and every one of these seedlings is a new and unique individual variety, just as we are unique and different from our own mothers and fathers, even if we look similar.

I'll grow most of these seedlings on for a few years and try to develop starter bonsai. Maybe some will make good bonsai. Maybe some will have better traits for bonsai than the coral bark parent but all these will just be Acer palmatum, Japanese maples.
If any prove to be really good maybe I'll give them names and start propagating, after all, that's how all the current named varieties came to be.

This explanation!!! Now I get it get it.