Nishiki Gawa seedlings

[QuintinBonsai]

Or any other seedling of a cultivated maple. Do they grow true to the parent tree, or will they just produce normal green Japanese maples?

 

[BunjaeKorea]

With Japanese maples there is a huge variety of genetic diversity within individual seats and the seats may be significantly different from the parent plant though of course some will be similar. You may have to plant quite a few to get the variety you want to grow. Seriously you may have a green form but it may produce mixed or red leafed seedlings, large leaved or fine leafed you just can't tell, that is what makes JM so interesting, very few other trees have the same genetic flexibility within one generation.

 

[brewmeister83]

Or any other seedling of a cultivated maple. Do they grow true to the parent tree, or will they just produce normal green Japanese maples?

Seedlings of any plant are a random combination of the genetics of the seed plant (mother) and the pollen source (father) - therefore they will be genetically different from either and will exhibit characteristics which can be different from the parent plants. (eg. you're similar to but not the same as your parents) The only way to make a scion (offspring) be the same as the parent plant is through asexual propagation techniques such as rooted cuttings or air layered branches. This is effectively "cloning" for plants and will give the cutting all the same growth characteristics as the parent plant.

 

[BunjaeKorea]

Seedlings of any plant are a random combination of the genetics of the seed plant (mother) and the pollen source (father) - therefore they will be genetically different from either and will exhibit characteristics which can be different from the parent plants. (eg. you're similar to but not the same as your parents) The only way to make a scion (offspring) be the same as the parent plant is through asexual propagation techniques such as rooted cuttings or air layered branches. This is effectively "cloning" for plants and will give the cutting all the same growth characteristics as the parent plant.

What he said....

 

[brewmeister83]

Dang Bunjae, that's two posts you beat me to in one night!

 

[QuintinBonsai]

Awesome guys. Very informative answers.

 

[BunjaeKorea]

Dang Bunjae, that's two posts you beat me to in one night!

Hehehe it's because its day here! Sunlight gives me power.......lolz.
JM are seriously varied though I know some pretty disappointed people that thought they would get the same thing from seed with JM. I think it is more intresting and makes them more unique.
Heres a tiny one I am working on.

 

[BunjaeKorea]

Awesome guys. Very informative answers.

No worries, if you really want the same thing then do as Brewmeister said and grow from a cutting.